Department of Agriculture veterinary experts were last night examining 20 untagged dead cattle on a Co Cavan farm. They were also investigating the source of a further 22 animals on a Co Donegal farm which may have been smuggled.
The dead animals were found yesterday on a farm at Killeshandra, and last night there were indications the investigation is centring more on animal welfare than on smuggling. However, another 12 animals on the farm were also being looked at last night. They too are untagged, raising concern that they may have been smuggled in from Northern Ireland.
Samples from a two-week-old calf found on a farm near Cashel, Co Tipperary, will be sent to the Pirbright Laboratories in London tomorrow, the Department said last night. The calf had displayed lesions on both its foot and mouth, but the samples were being sent as a precautionary measure and veterinary experts were not unduly concerned. In Donegal, Department officials were following up information given to the Garda and have seized 22 Friesian cattle aged around 12 months which have not been tagged.
The raid on the Donegal farm took place yesterday evening as part of ongoing investigations into both smuggling and foot-and-mouth disease controls along the Border.
Yesterday, the Department warned farming organisations it was not a foregone conclusion that they will be allowed to move their animals from farm to farm from Monday next. Both the Irish Farmers' Association and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association said yesterday morning such movement would be allowed from Monday.
Their statements followed a meeting with the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh. Mr Pat O'Rourke, president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association, said he was greatly encouraged that the foot-and-mouth risk had receded so that "we could now with confidence allow farm-to-farm movement from next week".
Mr Tom Parlon, IFA president, said he was now more confident than ever that a system of traceable farm-to-farm movement could be introduced from Monday next. But last evening a spokesman for the Department said that this could not be assumed. "The farm organisations made a series of proposals to the expert group which was set up by the Minister to advise him on foot-and-mouth disease controls, and it is up to that body to make a recommendation to the Minister," he said.
"The expert group is meeting on Thursday to discuss the submissions but nothing can be assumed at this stage. It is not a foregone conclusion that movement will be allowed from Monday." The farm organisations say that at least 600,000 cattle and over 50,000 farms are involved in a huge build-up of stock on farms since late February when all movement between farms was banned.