One of Ireland's leading veterinary academics, Prof Joe Quinn of UCD's Veterinary College, has said he is more pessimistic now after 10 days of no outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease than he was before the Northern Ireland incident was confirmed.
"The more outbreaks they have across the water, the greater the threats to ourselves. There is increased movement, an increased amount of virus is circulating, with vehicles, pedestrians, and that increases the likelihood of transfer," he cautioned.
Prof Quinn said he would be opposed to any relaxation in the movement of any animals, including horses. But Mr Patrick Rogan, deputy chief veterinary officer of the Department of Agriculture, says that while the spread of foot-and-mouth is "a major worry", the fact that Ireland has had no outbreak since the one on February 21st in Northern Ireland "ups the odds" against an outbreak here.
The rash of cases in Britain, he said, makes things "more scary".
"Everybody is worried stiff about the situation in the UK. They forget there is a certain modicum of water between us. All of the controls put in place are in place.
"It's still where it should be expected in the UK, `contact with'. To that extent the disease hasn't broken out in the wider livestock population."