Ireland 'doing everything necessary to stop foot-and-mouth'

Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan will meet with officials in her Department again today to discuss measures aimed at preventing an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Ireland.

Emergency procedures were implemented yesterday after it emerged that cattle at a farm in Surrey had been infected with the virus.

The import of live animals and animal products from Britain is now banned, and disinfectant measures are being put in place in ports and airports.

Coughlan has said that they are doing everything necessary to prevent the spread of the disease.