Dealers at centre of sheep movement probe
At least three livestock dealers in Northern Ireland are at the centre of investigations into the movement of sheep before foot-and-mouth occurred in the North.
As Department of Agriculture officials in Belfast widened their probe to all registered sheep brought into the North from Scotland since the New Year, it emerged investigators have been looking at the activities of several dealers including one from the south of Co Derry.
It is understood about 15,000 animals were imported into the North between January 1 and February 21 before rigorous foot-and-mouth port controls were introduced.
Animals were bought from livestock markets in Longtown and Carlisle and brought legally into Northern Ireland from the Stranraer and Cairnryan ferry ports.
However, it is alleged that while some were destined for meat plants, not all the animals were processed but were transported instead to farms in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.
The Department of Agriculture confirmed tonight it had extended its investigation into sheep imported into the North from the beginning of January.
‘‘We had accounted for 3,000 of those in our investigations dating from February 1 to February 21 but are now having to extend that investigation as a further precaution.
‘‘All these movements were legal. There is no evidence at this stage to suggest any difficulties.’’
Democratic Unionist leader, the Rev Ian Paisley expressed ‘‘deep concern’’ at the widening of the probe to sheep imported in January.
The North Antrim MP, who chairs the Northern Ireland Assembly’s agriculture committee which met in emergency session yesterday, was worried about the implications of some animals not being accounted for.
‘‘There could still be sheep brought in that are being moved about the province. They could be leaving a trail of poison around the countryside as animals are moved to different farms,’’ he said.
Stormont Agriculture Minister Brid Rodgers told the committee investigators were examining a number of theories as to how the disease surfaced in Northern Ireland.
‘‘There is a possibility of a link with illegal imports. There are other possibilities that we are looking at but we simply don’t know. We are following everything up,’’ she said.
The Minister revealed private vets were being drafted in to help the department’s efforts to stem the foot-and-mouth crisis.
Three outbreaks have occurred in the province - at Meigh, Co Armagh, Ardboe, Co Tyrone and Cushendall, Co Antrim.
Test results are awaited on two further suspect cases - one in Ardboe and another in Co Armagh.
Mrs Rodgers also confirmed she would be writing to farmers to urge them to provide information about market purchases.
She warned: ‘‘We must be prepared for further disease outbreaks in Northern Ireland and the number will dictate the scale of the resource problems we face in dealing with them.’’
