A Kepak abattoir in Athleague, Co Roscommon, has confirmed that lambs slaughtered at the plant last week were not owned by the farmer in whose name they were supplied and may have originated in the North or Britain.
The Department of Agriculture and the company are now trying to trace the origin of the lambs. Restrictions have been placed on farms owned by 12 employees who processed the lambs.
In a statement last night, Kepak said the consignment of 248 lambs was delivered on February 20th "in the name of a sheep farmer from the region, known to the company".
It continued: "It has since come to light following investigations by the Department of Agriculture into the transport of animals across the Border that the lambs in question were not the property of the farmer in whose name they were supplied."
Kepak said last night the lambs were slaughtered when they arrived and were "subject to the normal pre- and postslaughter Department of Agriculture veterinary inspections and deemed healthy and fit for human consumption in accordance with normal practice".
Work was continuing as normal at the Athleague plant yesterday. All vehicles leaving the premises were sprayed with disinfectant and workers were disinfecting their footwear. There were fears in the area that the lambs may have come through the Carlisle mart, where infected animals were traded.
A Wexford farmer spoke last night of his devastation on being informed that his livestock are to be slaughtered as a precaution against foot-and-mouth disease.
Some 1,300 sheep, more than 100 cattle and a small number of pigs on the Walsh brothers' farm at Ballyvadden, near Kilmuckridge, are to be slaughtered today or tomorrow.
Tests on the farm indicated the disease was not present but the animals are to be killed under an EU directive, issued on Tuesday, requiring the slaughter of all livestock imported from Britain since February 1st.
More than 1,000 sheep on two farms owned by the same family in France are also to be slaughtered.
Mr Mervyn Walsh, told The Irish Times last night that the loss of the livestock was "a big blow" from which it would be difficult to recover. He said the family imported 821 sheep from Kent - and not Devon as had been reported - in England on February 2nd. There have been no confirmed cases of foot-and-mouth in Kent. Veterinary inspectors from the Department of Agriculture visited the Walsh farm on Thursday, as news broke of the foot-and-mouth outbreak in Britain.
The results of blood tests at the farm are still awaited. "They told us if they were infected the symptoms would be very obvious by now," Mr Walsh said.
The directive of the EU Standing Veterinary Committee changed things, and on Tuesday evening he was informed the livestock would have to be slaughtered. Mr Walsh's auctioneer, Mr Nick Stafford, is to negotiate compensation with the Department. "We will be hoping to start negotiations in the morning," said Mr Stafford. Speaking to The Irish Times from France, Mr Sam Walsh said he was awaiting details of the French government's compensation package.