A possible second case of foot-and-mouth disease is being investigated in Co Louth on a farm adjoining one of the outfarms worked by the Rice family where the Republic's first case was confirmed last week.
Department officials indicated last night that their preliminary investigations near Proleek gave them more concern that there was another outbreak than any of the other suspects seen this week.
The discovery was made yesterday on the Cooley peninsula and Department of Agriculture officials immediately slaughtered the herd which had not been culled because it was outside the three-kilometre exclusion zone which is now cleared of sheep.
A Department spokesman said samples from the flock will be sent to Pirbright Laboratories, Surrey, later today and it is likely to be tomorrow before results are known.
While the Department is greatly concerned at the latest suspect, another outbreak in Co Louth would be easier to control than anywhere else in the Republic because controls are already in place there.
It would not impinge on our export status which allows Ireland export from the other 25 counties, and would not be a strain on the resources which have to be used to seal off an area to satisfy EU demands.
However, a second outbreak could lead to the total destruction of the 40,000 sheep which remain on the peninsula and an estimated 7,000 cattle, should it be confirmed.
There were early indications of possible further difficulties in Louth yesterday with the announcement by the Minister for Agriculture that all the wild goats and deer on the peninsula are to be culled by marksmen.
Mr Walsh also announced a total ban on the feeding of swill, leftover food, to pigs anywhere in the Republic. Untreated swill is thought to have been the cause of the outbreak in Britain where more than 700 cases have now been confirmed, and the vaccination of animals has been approved by the EU.
He said it would be another week before decisions on easing the problems created by the build-up of animals on farms, due to a total ban on movements, would be addressed.
Mr Walsh said he would be guided by the expert committee chaired by Prof Michael Monaghan, which would access the risks involved in allowing farm to farm sales, the joint transport of sheep to factories for slaughter and the resumption of Artificial Insemination services.
The Minister said he had decided to postpone the implementation of the milk quota restructuring scheme but was introducing a temporary leasing scheme on April 1st to assist farmers who found they had to keep animals they could not now sell.
Tillage farmers within the 10 kilometre surveillance/exclusion zone in Co Louth would be permitted to put 100 per cent of their tillage land into setaside this year and they would receive £301 per hectare, he said.
Mr Walsh again ruled out vaccination of the national herd to prevent the possible spread of the disease here but announced he would allow horses to leave the State for the Doncaster sales in Britain - though he would not allow them re-enter.
He said results of samples of a lamb from the Irish Country Meats plant, Camolin, and three lambs with mouth lesions found at the Slaney Meats Plant, Bunclody, Co Wexford at noon yesterday are due today and tomorrow.
Meanwhile, a seventh outbreak was confirmed in the Netherlands yesterday.