Eighteen months after foot-and-mouth provoked a national emergency, the Department of Agriculture and Food still has not reimbursed Louth County Council €635,000 it spent to contain the disease in the Cooley Peninsula.
"We were told this was a national emergency and the efforts we made do not deserve this response; we are still fighting to get paid," said Mr John Quinliven, Louth county manager, at this month's council meeting.
The money was spent in a number of areas including the burying of infected sheep. According to assistant county manager Mr Joe Boland landfilling incurred costs of around £180,000 and another £100,000 was spent on reinstating roads altered to allow checkpoints and disinfecting sprays to be set up.
"We provided staff for disinfecting as well as special veterinary and engineering staff and the services of the fire brigade and civil defence. There were 10 professional managerial staff of the local authority involved in the crisis on a 24-hour basis for two to three weeks," Mr Boland said.
Mr Quinliven said he expects the Department to repay less than what the council incurred. However, he said it would still fight to be paid.
The Department said it was "considering reimbursing Louth County Council for additional costs incurred as a direct result of its efforts in relation to foot-and- mouth disease.
"Louth County Council has submitted a detailed bill for the work undertaken . . . which is at present being examined. It is expected that a decision in relation to payment will shortly be made, having regard to the finances available, and the extent to which the charges levied by Louth County Council represent additional costs incurred specifically as a result of the foot-and-mouth crisis."
Meanwhile, the Department said that around 50 farmers from the Cooley Peninsula had made false claims for compensation or had over-claimed. The total due to the Department as a result is around €100,000. A spokeswoman said no prosecutions would result, as the claims were the result of minor errors, and not a major scheme to defraud the State.