Bertie Ahern: Disease alert likely for months

Bertie Ahern today warned that anti foot-and-mouth restrictions might have to stay in place for months despite today’s negative test results on samples from suspect sheep in two counties.

Mr Ahern was in Co Louth, where he received a first-hand assessment of continuing efforts to restrict the Republic of Ireland’s only case of foot-and-mouth to the borderside area.

Mr Ahern went north for talks with farm leaders and senior Agriculture Department officials after preliminary laboratory tests results from Pirbright, Surrey, had indicated no new outbreaks of the disease.

A Co Louth farm, close to the one where the disease was detected last week, and a meat plant 120 miles south in Co Wexford, were cleared by the Pirbright experts, with the final confirmation of their findings expected next week.

The test results ended a period of deepening gloom, with some government ministers fearing the worst about both suspected cases.

Major official concern had centred on Wexford, where confirmation of the disease would have shown it was spreading geographically and led to an extension of a farm exports ban from the current Co Louth region right across the country.

Co Louth has been virtually sealed off since last week, and other strict controls have been imposed nationwide, leading to the cancellation and postponement of hundreds of sporting, social and other events.

Mr Ahern who said he was on a ‘‘listening exercise’’ visit was briefed on the current position by officials, who have based themselves in a hotel close to the border since the start of the crisis.

Afterwards, he met farmers at the frontline of the battle to stop the spread of the disease at Carlingford, on Louth’s Cooley peninsular, focal point of the Irish alert, and also saw tourist trade representatives, whose livelihoods are under threat.

Mr Ahern said ‘‘We will get nowhere until we contain this I think everybody understands that.

‘‘For the next number of weeks, and maybe even months, dare I say, depending on what happens in the United Kingdom, we have to continue the policy of containment.’’

He said, too, that he was ‘‘horrified’’ that a small group of cross-border smugglers could have put the welfare of the beef industry in jeopardy.

‘‘It is impossible for the Gardai to guard every inch of the border, but the struggle against smuggling will go on.’’

Mr Ahern’s remarks followed reports of intense police activity in the area in the wake of reports that infected animals from Britain had earlier this year illicitly been brought across the border from Northern Ireland.

Earlier, after welcoming the initial Pirbight conclusions, Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh said any other outcome would have been ‘‘very bad news.’’

He added ‘‘What we have now is a negative result. It means we have to await the final outcome, but the preliminary one is good. It’s also good news for the general economy.

‘‘We now have to hold our breath until Monday and keep up the very good national effort being made to contain this disease.’’

Mr Walsh also reported a government call for a total cull of sheep on the Cooley peninsular.

Almost 20,000 animals in the area sited just a few miles from the farm in Northern Ireland’s Co Armagh, where the disease was detected last month have already been slaughtered.

The ultimate figure could be as many 50,000, most of them sheep.

Mr Walsh said: ‘‘Full compensation will be paid, but we are concerned because we have not yet found the cause of the original outbreak in Co Louth.

‘‘We are worried that there might be some flock out in the Cooley mountains that is incubating this disease, and that there is a timebomb there.’’

Despite the relief generated by the Pirbright results, veterinary officials working in Co Louth were continuing to urge caution today as efforts continued to prevent the disease spreading.

Michael Sheridan, the agriculture department’s deputy veterinary head, warned: ‘‘We have past the first hurdle, but we are not out of the woods yet.’’

Fine Gael tonight called for the establishment of a government task force to assess the damage being caused by foot-and-mouth to the tourism industry.

They made the move following reports that some sectors of the holiday trade are facing ruin because of a near-total halt of visitors from overseas, including Britain because of travelling controls.

Spokesman David Stanton said: ‘‘I am very concerned that many operators will be put out of business and that it will mean long-term damage to the industry as a whole.’’

Tourism Minister Dr Jim McDaid has promised a government aid package, but no details have yet been revealed.