Irish livestock slaughter continues

Sheep are taken for slaughter in the Louth

The slaughter of thousands of sheep and cattle in the Irish Republic is continuing as farmers north and south of the border wait anxiously to see if further foot-and-mouth cases emerge.

So far, both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have both had just one outbreak of the livestock disease, which is sweeping through Britain.

There have been no further outbreaks in the province, since the one at a farm in Meigh in south Armagh three weeks ago.

Sheep imported to the farm from Britain had passed through a market in Cumbria where there were other infected animals.

Wider cull decision

The Irish Republic's outbreak was confirmed at an abattoir at Ravensdale in County Louth last Thursday, a short distance across the border in the surveillance zone placed around the south Armagh farm.

Farmers on the Cooley Peninsula waiting for cull decision

More than 13,000 sheep and 3,000 cattle are being slaughtered in a three-mile radius of the abattoir.

Irish Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh is to decide on Monday whether to carry out a wider cull in the Cooley peninsula area.

On Saturday, results of tests from a sheep suspected of having foot-and-mouth on a farm in Kilmacrennan, County Donegal, were found to be negative.

However, four farms in County Meath cordoned off by the Irish police, are still under surveillance.

Sheep on the farms in Trim, Longwood and Fairyhouse were culled and destroyed on Saturday.

There are tight controls on the Irish border

It is suspected some sheep there may have been imported from Britain.

However, it is understood they were not showing symptoms of foot-and-mouth.

Northern Ireland agriculture minister Brid Rodgers has been appealing for information about sheep believed to have been part of the infected consignment brought to Meigh, which she feared may have been dispersed to other farms.

However, last week the haulier who brought the infected sheep to Meigh, said there were no missing sheep.

Ahern in port concerns

Meanwhile, Mrs Rodgers has expressed surprise about comments by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern on Saturday criticising disease control measures at Northern Ireland and British ports and airports.

Bertie Ahern has appealed for tighter controls

Mr Ahern asked UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to improve controls to prevent the further spread of foot-and-mouth disease when they had discussions on the fringes of a European Union summit in Stockholm.

But Mrs Rodgers said on Sunday: "Whilst the frontline of defence against foot-and-mouth disease is the farm gate, port controls have been a priority in Northern Ireland throughout this crisis.

Brid Rodgers: "Agriculture departments are co-operatng north and south"

"There has been very close liaison between the agriculture departments north and south throughout the crisis, including discussion at both official and ministerial levels about port controls, and at no time have nay concerns about those controls been raised with me."

In Britain, the army is preparing a mass grave in Cumbria for 500,000 sheep which are being slaughtered in an attempt to wipe out the disease.

The government is also expected to announce a ban on the use of pig swill, which is being blamed for causing the outbreak.

The Department of Agriculture can be contacted on its helpline numbers on 02890 524279 or 02890 524590 between 0830 - 2100 GMT.