Ahern criticises Britain over foot-and-mouth 'failures'

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has criticised what he described as the continuing failure of the British authorities to disinfect vehicles bound for Ireland from UK ports.

Mr Ahern announced a plan to have Irish workers doing the job, as efforts continue to keep foot-and-mouth restricted to one isolated outbreak near the Republic's border with the North.

Mr Ahern said his main source of argument with Tony Blair was the British ports.

He said: "We are looking at a situation that the only way we think that we can fully protect the ports from the UK into this country is to do it ourselves.

"We have now offered, in the absence of them spraying, that we will do it ourselves and pay for it ourselves.

Mr Ahern's comments came as preliminary foot-and-mouth disease tests on a sheep in Co Meath proved negative.

The tests were carried out after the animal at the Irish Country Meats plant in Navan was found to have blisters on its lip on Thursday evening.

Mr Ahern said that a cull of virtually all animals on the Cooley Peninsula - where the one confirmed Irish case was found more than a fortnight ago - was nearly complete.

But it would be before the end of the month before the government could "relax a little bit", he added and stringent controls would meanwhile remain in place.