New information supplied by the Northern Ireland authorities on sheep movements to the Republic prior to February 21st has led to the slaughter of 1,200 animals in the last 48 hours on farms across the State.
As the investigations continued, the Minister for Tourism, Dr McDaid, announced he would be bringing forward a special package of measures to help the tourism industry to tomorrow's Cabinet meeting, the first indication that there may be official aid for the sector.
The slaughter of the animals outside the restricted zone is part of the most intensive animal tracing investigation carried out in the State and is being conducted with urgency to prevent any possible spread of foot-and-mouth disease.
The animals are being slaughtered because they may have been imported from Northern Ireland or may have had contact with animals which had been brought in from the North prior to the ban on imports on February 21st.
Near Spink, Abbeyleix, 140 sheep and 25 cattle were slaughtered on Saturday and blood samples taken for screening to the national animal testing laboratories in Abbotstown, Co Dublin.
In Co Meath, 477 sheep and 24 cattle were slaughtered on four farms near Fairyhouse, Longwood, and Trim in Co Meath. The farms have close connections with the Kepak meat processing company which runs plants at Clonee and Athleague, Co Roscommon.
In Rathvilly, Co Carlow, 200 sheep and 52 cattle were slaughtered because of possible contact with Northern Ireland imports and 180 sheep and 70 cattle were slaughtered at a farm near Gorey, Co Wexford.
Blood samples were also taken from animals on farms in Donegal and Monaghan over the weekend but these were found to be negative on examination in Abbotstown.
A Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development spokesman said last night that, so far, none of the samples taken from animals in the areas outside the Louth region had shown any signs of the disease.
He confirmed the Department is to extend the cull of sheep and cattle in the Proleek area, where the disease was confirmed on Thursday, beyond the three-kilometre zone to create a "firewall" between the zone and the Border.
Nearly 13,500 sheep and 3,000 cattle have already been destroyed in the zone since Thursday and it is not known how many other animals will have to be destroyed to create the cordon sanitaire up to the Border.
Following a meeting with tourism interests in Carlingford, Co Louth, yesterday, Dr McDaid said specific proposals addressing the immediate problems experienced by tourism operators would be brought to the Cabinet this week. These are expected to provide for the deferring of VAT and rates payments and an intensive marketing campaign abroad.