TURKEY: The Department of Agriculture and Food says it is carefully monitoring the situation in Turkey.
It repeated its advice yesterday to people travelling there on holiday or business to take precautions and urged the public to visit its website, which gives advice on this (www.agriculture.gov.ie).
The website advises travellers not to visit live bird markets, farms or other places that may be contaminated by bird faeces.
On returning from any affected country, travellers who have had contact with poultry or other birds are advised not to have any contact with live poultry or other birds at home for at least seven days.
Dr Mary Upton, Labour's agriculture and health spokeswoman, called on the Government to prepare for the worst following the spread of the virus outside southeast Asia.
"Before Christmas I called on the Government to outline the steps it was taking to protect the country from the deadly virus following confirmation that the disease had spread to China," she said.
"Public anxiety across Europe will increase following these deaths. The Government should respond with a renewed and pro-active campaign to assure Irish people that the necessary steps are being taken to protect the country against avian flu.
"For example, checks at airports and ports must be strengthened and a national bio-security unit must be established as quickly as possible," she said.
Dr Upton called on the Government to appoint a single person to co-ordinate a campaign to avoid the confusion of recent weeks, when statements were coming from the Ministers for Agriculture and Health on the level of threat and Ireland's readiness to respond.