Farmers should bring poultry indoors: MEP

IRISH farmers should follow Swedish and Danish examples and keep poultry locked up, warned one politician, as fears grow the deadly bird flu has moved a step closer to Ireland today.

But Department of Agriculture officials say any risk posed to Ireland by bird flu, which has now been confirmed in Germany, will be dealt with by a wide range of European Union and domestic measures, including an early detection system.

As the deadly virus continues to spread, fears grow it has the potential to devastate Europe’s €24 billion poultry and egg industry.