No plan to abandon agriculture shows

Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan tonight said there was no reason why agriculture shows could not continue despite the UK foot and mouth outbreak.

She focused in particular on the upcoming Dublin Horse Show, due to begin on Wednesday, and the Tullamore Livestock Show.

Ms Coughlan met with her department officials to discuss events in England, following Friday’s outbreak at a Surrey farm.

She said she had spoken with her UK counterpart Hilary Benn MP who had assured her the British authorities were doing all in their power to confirm the source and eradicate the threat.

This comes after Stormont Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew briefed her Assembly scrutiny committee and agri-food industry chiefs about her efforts to keep the disease out of Northern Ireland.

“As things stand, there is no threat to the holding of agricultural shows around the country,” Ms Coughlan said.

Advice booklets for event organisers are being published as part of the Government’s public awareness campaign.

However she stressed the importance for those in the livestock industry to remain vigilant and to adopt appropriate bio-security measures at their premises.

Last night Ms Coughlan confirmed that all live cattle imported to Ireland from England since July 1 had been traced and showed no evidence of disease.

The government and the Stormont Executive in Belfast have vowed to co-operate closely to stop Foot and Mouth spreading to animals across the Irish Sea.

An import ban remains in place on live cattle, sheep, pigs and goats as well as fresh meat, meat products and unpasteurised milk from Britain.