Tests on sheep in Co Louth and Co Cork have proved negative for foot-and-mouth disease, the Department of Agriculture has confirmed. Samples were taken last week from sheep at a farm near Dunleer, Co Louth, and another at Watergrasshill, Co Cork.
Results from both sets of samples were received yesterday from the Pirbright laboratory in Surrey. Further samples were sent from carcasses found [ NO]at a piece of on land near Kinlough, Co Leitrim, beside the border with Co Fermanagh.
There were no other sheep on the land, said a spokeswoman for the Department, adding that the tests were purely precautionary. Results from these samples are due back tomorrow or Saturday.
The Labour spokeswoman on food safety, Dr Mary Upton, has said it is no longer tenable for the Department of Agriculture "to have sole responsibility for all food safety matters behind the farm gate".
Dr Upton told a meeting of the Institute of Biology in UCD yesterday that the Food Safety Authority should have responsibility for food safety from farm to fork; at present it has responsibility from farm gate to fork, she said.
Extra resources must be made available to the authority so it "can carry out random inspections on farms to ensure the feeding practices of animals are compliant with legislation". She said the foot-and-mouth situation had deflected attention from the BSE crisis.
Meanwhile, Fota Wildlife Park, near Cobh, Co Cork, has announced it is open to visitors from today.
The Mountaineering Council of Ireland has reminded hillwal kers that restrictions are still in place and will only be lifted on May 19th. Hillwalkers should begin their walks in the national parks and on Coillte properties, the council advises.
Almost two-thirds of sales directors in the State say their businesses are being affected by the foot-and-mouth outbreak, according to a survey commissioned by online Customer Relationship Management software provider, salesforce.com
The survey found that 42 per cent of UK firms have been affected. About 5 per cent of the sample related to firms in the agri-business or tourism sectors.