Those who were involved in smuggling sheep from Britain into the Republic are still refusing to divulge all the details of their transactions, it has emerged.
This is creating confusion over the exact numbers involved and adding to concerns that suspect foot-and-mouth animals are not being detected.
Sources close to the investigations in the North said yesterday that those known to be involved were still seeking immunity from prosecution and had not made all the information necessary available.
The island-wide search for any sheep which may have gone missing or have had contact with a load of 291 animals imported from Carlisle to Meigh, Co Armagh, has intensified in recent days.
Copies of some of the documents used by a Co Offaly dealer, Mr John Walsh, to import the sheep from Carlisle on February 19th have now come into the possession of the media but the Department of Agriculture in Belfast would only say the documents form part of its investigations.
These show that Mr Walsh, of Longfoot House, Clareen, Birr, declared he was exporting 291 sheep to a Co Armagh plant for "immediate slaughter". He specified that the animals were being carried by sea and gave the registered number of the vehicle he was carrying the animals in as RJI 3139. The health certificate and slaughter certificate were allegedly signed and officially stamped by a local veterinary inspector.
The animals never arrived at the specified plant and the company there never had any dealings with Mr Walsh before this event. The sheep were taken to Meigh, where the load was split.
Authorities in Dublin were told that 248 of them continued to Athleague, Co Roscommon; two died there; and 21 remained on the Meigh farm where one was confirmed as having foot-and-mouth. They believe the fact the sheep were weighed rather than counted in Carlisle accounts for 20 missing animals.
The Co Mayo farmer/dealer in whose name the animals were booked into the Athleague plant could not be contacted for comment yesterday but he has been interviewed by investigators.
The Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, said yesterday he was so confident that no sheep had crossed the Border from the North since the ban on imports was imposed that he would "bet his mortgage on it". He said 728 farms here were still under restrictions but these would be eased from the end of this week as 14 days would have elapsed since the Meigh case.
However, the exclusion zone in Co Louth would remain until the Armagh exclusion zone was removed by the authorities in the North. All Border, port and airport checks would remain in place and be strengthened.
He said from mid-May, all of the State's eight million sheep would have individual tags to ensure they could be traced.