Emergency legislation giving extra powers to Department of
Agriculture officials to deal with the threat of foot-and-mouthdisease could be law by Friday.
The measures, presented to the Cabinet this morning by the AttorneyGeneral Mr Michael McDowell will give increased investigatory powersto the Department of Agriculture in attempting to trace the origin ofimported animals.
The legislation also proposes to make law the system introducedtoday, that requires people moving livestock to have special permits.
In Northern Ireland, the Minister of Agriculture Mrs Brid Rodgers,issued new public guidelines aimed at preventing the spread of thedisease.
Among the measures, is a request that the public refrain fromvisiting farms, travelling in large numbers to Great Britain andinviting visitors to Northern Ireland from Great Britain.
The Department are also requesting that all events (sports, concertsetc.) likely to attract large numbers of people from rural areas,should be cancelled.
The Minister said she anticipated the restrictions to be in place forthree weeks. Speaking at a press briefing announcing the proposals for legislationin the Republic, the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Joe Walsh praisedthe public reaction to the threat of the disease. "We have had anunprecedented level of co-operation and solidarity from the bothbusiness and the public," he said.
As part of the precautions against foot-and-mouth 567 farms are nowunder restriction in the State.
A second set of results from the Co Louth farm that was of particularconcern to the Department last week have proved negative and afurther set of results expected in the next 24 hours will confirm thefindings.
The Department of Agriculture confirmed this morning that 800 sheepin Co Monaghan were slaughtered last night as a precautionarymeasure. A department spokesman said there was concern that some ofthe sheep had been imported from Britain or Northern Ireland or hadcome into contact with imported animals.
The Government has also announced a ban on the importation of livecattle from France because of the discovery of traces of the diseasein sheep there imported into that country from Britain.