Call for Department to issue `high alert' warning

The Department of Agriculture should warn every farmer to be on high alert for foot-and-mouth following the Northumberland cases…

The Department of Agriculture should warn every farmer to be on high alert for foot-and-mouth following the Northumberland cases, the Labour TD Mr Willie Penrose said.

Pushing for "every necessary step" to prevent new cases, Labour's agriculture spokesman said the British cases were "extremely worrying".

"They should provide everyone in Ireland with a grim reminder of the serious threat," he said.

The outbreak in Northumberland, which had been free of foot-and-mouth for some time, could get worse, as two suspicious cases were still being investigated.

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"There has been some complacency of late in the vitally important precautions that many people took during the crisis a few months ago," Mr Penrose said. "We had all lain back a bit a few months ago when the worst passed in the UK.

"It is now important that Minister Walsh immediately reinforce measures to raise public awareness about the continued threat of the spread of disease from the UK to Ireland."

He added: "A renewed information campaign, targeted at travellers between Ireland and the UK, to warn of the risks of a new outbreak of disease in this country is needed."

Ireland must remain on alert as long as there was a single case in the UK: "The Minister should write to every single farmer in the country, urging them to be on their guard," he said. He promised that the Labour Party would be fully supportive of measures and procedures necessary to stave off the detrimental effect a fresh Irish outbreak would have.

A spokesman for the Department of Agriculture said that the Northumberland cases offered "a timely warning"' since vigilance had eased.

In particular, there were signs that many were now ignoring disinfectant mats.

Mark Hennessy

Mark Hennessy

Mark Hennessy is Ireland and Britain Editor with The Irish Times