‘Unlikely’ border could be sealed in crisis, warns expert

Government cutbacks make it unlikely the Defence Forces and the gardaí could prevent an outbreak of foot- and-mouth, swine flu, or avian flu spreading from the North into the Republic, according to a former senior army officer.

Retired Brigadier General Ger Aherne said the closure of army barracks and garda stations along the border in recent years make it improbable that the State could effectively seal the border if there was a repeat of the 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak in the North.

The former senior officer said: “We have reached a situation today where I, personally and professionally, doubt if the border with Northern Ireland could be sealed in such a crisis.”