Irish call to shut borders

Northern Ireland agriculture secretary Michelle Gildernew has told farm leaders from the Republic of that she is doing everything possible to keep foot-and-mouth disease out of the island of Ireland.

A meeting was held in Belfast this week following calls by the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association to close the North-South border until there was a fuller understanding of the F&M situation in England.

The ICSA also criticised “the undue haste shown by the EU in letting British livestock and livestock product exports resume so quickly” after the last outbreak.