An Irish veterinary expert has expressed concern at the Government's plan to relax quarantine controls for importing cats and dogs by allowing in animals coming through the UK which satisfy Britain's new pet passport regulations.
Currently, all animals being imported into the Republic from outside Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, must be kept in quarantine for six months.
But, from next month, dogs and cats from outside this area will be allowed into the State without quarantine if they have a British pet passport and are coming from the UK.
The British passport scheme is due to begin a one-year trial on February 28th and initially will be open to animals travelling from 22 countries.
The Department of Agriculture confirmed yesterday that it was considering launching its own pet passports scheme, which could be introduced early next year.
But the president of the Irish Companion Animal Veterinary Association, Mr Mike Woods, warned that while vaccinations were adequate to protect Ireland from rabies, the scheme would expose the State to other diseases spread by fleas and ticks.
"I, personally, would be quite sceptical about the pet passports," Mr Woods said.
"The protection the scheme provides is not adequate because it cannot be adequate as you cannot tell if a dog has been bitten by a tick as he walks back into the country."
It made sense to predict that diseases which had not previously been seen in Ireland would begin to emerge, and would be spread among native flea and tick populations by insects feeding on infected pets, he said.
To qualify for passports animals will have to be blood-tested, have a health certificate, vaccinations against rabies and other diseases, and be fitted with an identifying microchip.
All animals not qualifying under the passport scheme will have to satisfy the continuing quarantine regulations.
A Department of Agriculture spokesman confirmed yesterday that the Department was satisfied the British regulations and their enforcement at British ports and air terminals would be adequate to protect Ireland's rabies-free status.
Mr Woods said he believed the scheme was useful for people coming to Ireland to live permanently and bringing their pets with them. But he questioned its value for bringing pets abroad on short trips, considering the risk of pets bringing new diseases back to Ireland.