The Minister for Agriculture yesterday signalled a further easing of foot-and-mouth restrictions against the background of a possible new case of the disease in Northern Ireland.
Officials in the North were speaking last night of a "hot suspect" case in a dairy herd in Ardboe, Co Tyrone. Preliminary results from Pirbright in London are not expected until early today.
Mr Walsh said the suspect case in Co Tyrone served to underline the need for continuing vigilance and the need for all individual farmers and premises, agribusiness and sports facilities to have their disinfectant barriers.
At his briefing yesterday, Mr Walsh announced that the St Patrick's Day celebrations will go ahead on May 18th to 20th, that greyhound racing can resume from April 19th and that, with approved protocols in place, showjumping could commence on April 28th.
He said the expert group advising him on controls said various activities could begin on land which did not have susceptible animals grazing there 28 days ago.
Greyhound racing may resume on a limited basis on April 19th and work on putting protocols in place to allow for the movement of pedigree bulls would conclude by April 28th.
Protocols being prepared for the resumption of showjumping would facilitate its resumption on a limited basis from April 28th, Mr Walsh said.
Speaking on the St Patrick's Day celebrations, he said the organisers had been asked to ensure that visitors from the UK or other infected areas or a control zone be asked not to travel.
"They must also ensure an enhanced awareness of foot-and-mouth disease precautions for visitors by the use of oral and written communications. This, of course, is dependent on no further outbreak of the disease."
He announced that the tests taken from two lambs in Bray had proved negative so far and that tests from the Irish Country Meats plant in Navan, Co Meath, were now clear.
In an update on the Cooley peninsula, Mr Walsh said the cull had been completed with the slaughter of 54,045 animals in the area - 49,411 sheep, 306 goats, 282 deer and 2,907 pigs.
He said that 416 farms in Co Louth remain restricted and investigations were continuing into the outbreak at Proleek. The reconciliation between the number of animals slaughtered and the number of ewe premiums being claimed in the area was ongoing, he added.
Trade restrictions which are currently in place in Co Louth could be lifted if there was no further outbreaks there on April 19th except for the 10-km zone around Proleek, Mr Walsh said. Restrictions around Proleek could be lifted if the EU Standing Veterinary Committee was satisfied everything was in order on April 27th.
He said the number of animals culled in follow-up investigations outside the Co Louth area now stood at 5,102 sheep and 551 cattle.
The Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Dr McDaid, welcomed the announcement that the St Patrick's celebrations were going ahead and said it came as a clear signal that Ireland was winning the battle against the disease.
"It shows that we are open for tourism business and ready to welcome visitors. This is the green light for the recovery of our tourism industry," he said.
He said the fact that the celebrations are to resume and that Ireland will be en fete at what is perhaps the loveliest time of the year, came as a tremendous shot in the arm as intensive campaigns were being mounted in Britain, the US and Europe to win back tourism business.