Irish food exports could be banned for years from some foreign markets if foot-and-mouth disease is found here, the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, has warned.
Speaking during the emergency Dail debate, Mr Walsh insisted the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development was treating the crisis "with the utmost priority".
Last night, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, attended a special Cabinet meeting in Government Buildings on his return from the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff.
Emphasising the threat that exists to the Irish economy, Mr Walsh said some export bans, if imposed, could last for months.
"However, Ireland would continue to be banned from several markets into the future as a number of importing countries insist on freedom from footand-mouth disease for several years after an outbreak."
The Fine Gael leader, Mr Michael Noonan, said one farmer inside the exclusion zone created in the wake of the in Co Armagh case had still not been visited by the Department of Agriculture by 10.30 a.m yesterday. "There is a yawning gap between the theory and the regulatory regime announced." However, Mr Noonan adopted a different line to the leader of the Labour Party, Mr Quinn, who complained about the Taoiseach's visit to Wales. "We need the Taoiseach to be here. This is a crisis. The Taoiseach should not be out of the country," he said.
Mr Noonan said: "There are people in Wales who have campaigned for a long time for their own assembly and I know they are honoured that our Taoiseach is addressing them today."
But Mr Noonan sharply criticised the role played by the Minister for Agriculture and the Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr Noel Davern.
"It is not in the national interest for an Opposition to sweep the inadequacies of the Government under the carpet when foot-and-mouth disease is threatening," he said.
Mr Noonan asked the Tanaiste to outline the impact that an outbreak of foot-andmouth would have on Ireland's food industry, which employs 100,000 people.
Furthermore, he asked what arrangements were being put in place to ensure that there would be adequate supplies of meat if there was an outbreak.
Replying, Ms Harney said action had been taken overnight to ensure that animals were not moved into the Republic across any of the 299 crossings along the Border.
Scare headlines in some Irish newspapers yesterday forced top Department of Agriculture officials to spend hours reassuring international customers that Ireland did not have the disease, Mr Walsh charged.
"There has not been a clinical case of the disease but we are treating the situation as if that were the case. It is most unhelpful and treasonous for the media to have headlines like `It is here' ".
