Viral outbreak fears - Borderless

IT IS, in many respects, a frightening thought that the so-called border with the North no longer exists. 

According to a former senior army officer, years of Government cutbacks means that the defence forces no longer have the ability to seal the border in the event of an emergency.

Since 2009, seven barracks have been shut and only two remain along the border — at Finner in south Donegal and at Dundalk. This leaves a huge gap in the middle of the border region.