Task force meeting beginning about now

An emergency meeting of the specially appointed task force for foot-and-mouth is getting underway at Government buildings about now.

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern has flown back from the EU summit meeting in Stockholm to chair the meeting.

The group will be discussing the best way to contain the highly contagious disease from spreading beyond the farm at Proleek in Co Louth.

Meanwhile, the mass cull of animals inside the Louth exclusion zone has been continuing today, with precautionary checks taking place on farms in Co Meath, Donegal, Laois, Carlow, Monaghan, Kilkenny and Cavan.

Because of the foot-and-mouth scare in Ireland, Singapore has placed a ban on the import of Irish meat and dairy produce.