An EU audit team, which is examining controls on plant disease in Ireland, was turned away from two Co Wexford potato farms which were hit by the brown rot disease last year.
Brown rot causes severe damage to potato crops when it strikes and it was identified for the first time in Ireland last year. The spread of the disease from Wexford would have very serious implications for the industry here.
Very strict controls were put in place to prevent its spread which include a ban on the land being used to grow potatoes.
In addition, the crop in which the disease was found has had to be destroyed and while the disease is notifiable in Ireland, there is no compensation for growers hit by it.
The EU team which had arrived at two farms near Enniscorthy, Co Wexford yesterday were denied entry.
The disease was detected initially in water samples taken as part of the Department of Agriculture's routine control programme at a potato packing premises and traced back to a farmer supplier.
All potato stocks on the farm were sampled and to date there is one confirmed positive. In addition, related potato samples from two potato packing plants have been confirmed positive, a Department of Agriculture statement said when the disease was first found here. It said that holding notices have been issued to the grower and to the packers involved to prevent movement of potentially infected stocks.