St Patrick's Day parade organisers will be asked to cancel their parades in an effort to reduce the risk of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.
Hunting, fishing and hillwalking events are being cancelled and the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, has called on racing fans, and the owner and trainer of the champion hurdler, Istabraq, in particular, not to travel to the Cheltenham racing festival.
His comments, in a special two-hour Dail debate, follow the report of a suspected case of the disease in south Armagh. It will take 96 hours before the results of tests on that farm will be known.
A five-mile restriction zone, which includes part of north Co Louth, has been put in place but the Minister stressed there was "no reason to suspect" any incidence of the disease in the State.
Nonetheless, he told the Dail that it was of the "utmost concern" and reported that 1,300 sheep in Co Wexford would be slaughtered today as an "ultra-precautionary" measure, since they came in from England. There is "no suspicion, no susceptibility, no clinical symptoms", Mr Walsh added. The 900 sheep in two consignments would be destroyed along with the farmer's 400 cattle. He told Mr Paul Connaughton (FG, Galway East) that people had contacted the Department and areas were being checked out but they had no reason to suspect any case in the Republic.
A plant in the west of Ireland had received a consignment for slaughter. It was disinfected and in the case of 12 staff their farms were under restriction since it was established that the sheep came in from Britain.
The Minister has asked Duchas, the National Heritage Service, to close its national parks and buildings and he has also asked the Irish Kennel Club to cancel its St Patrick's Day show. Mr Walsh also advised dog owners not to travel to the Cruft's international show in Britain and warned that if they did, their dogs might not be allowed back into the State.
Fine Gael's agriculture spokesman, Mr Alan Dukes, said he hoped that all the measures and restrictions were now in place and that there were no more "gaps" in the implementation of the measures at ports and airports. Labour's agriculture spokesman, Mr Willie Penrose, reiterated his belief that it was time to enforce restrictions on the movement of people and livestock. He also questioned the lack of disinfection mats at Department of Agriculture offices and called on the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, to "lead by example" and not travel to Wales, where he is scheduled to address the Welsh Assembly.
Mr Andrew Boylan (FG, Cavan-Monaghan) asked whether the lorry that had brought the sheep from Carlisle to south Armagh had travelled south to Cavan, and whether the lorry-driver gave false information in relation to his destination when questioned. The Minister said inquiries were still being carried out and the driver was awaiting further questioning.