We may be winning the crusade, but the battle is far from over;

THE onset of the Foot-and-Mouth crisis was sudden, but within hours of the news of the outbreak in the UK I had activated an immediate response plan in my Department.

This involved cutting the main risk of transmission by immediately banning the importation of susceptible animals and animal products from the UK.

In the hours and days that followed a strategy was rolled out by my Department which resulted in the mobilisation of a major national effort.

Not alone had controls to be put in place, but we needed the support of all the public.

We all realised of course the difficulty involved in fighting a virus - an invisible enemy. This difficulty, and the sense of unease, was heightened by the confirmation of an outbreak in Armagh, just two miles north of the border, on March 1.

However each day that passed brought hope that we just might succeed - until the morning of Thursday, March 22.

The terrible reality that we had an outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Co Louth was a shock and a major disappointment for all who had worked tirelessly - in many cases around the clock - to prevent such an occurrence.

The country at large was numbed at hearing the news.

Nevertheless, after the initial sense of disappointment we quickly re-focused our efforts from prevention of the disease to containment within the area of the outbreak and activated the contingency plan to eliminate the disease.

The fact that the one outbreak in Co Louth was within the surveillance zone which we put in place following the first outbreak in Northern Ireland was of some consolation.

HOWEVER, we put the measures in place, including a Local Disease Control Centre, as if we had an outbreak, and long before one was confirmed.

Since then we have completed an accelerated strategic cull which has effectively removed all sheep from the Cooley region in addition to some cattle, pigs, goats and deer.

I believe this containment policy has been very successful, as evidenced by the absence of any further outbreaks, and the hope must be that if we can continue to prevent further difficulties, we will again be able to change the emphasis to prevention very soon.

In working towards this objective, it has been agreed that the expertise of Irish port operatives will be utilised in providing improved disinfection facilities at six British ports serving this country, namely, Holyhead, Liverpool, Heysham, Fishguard, Pembroke and Swansea.

I appreciate how difficult and traumatic these weeks have been, especially for the people of Louth, but I know that they realise the importance of what we are doing. I cannot overemphasise at this critical time the need to maintain the national effort. I know that this may continue to mean some sacrifice and cost.

Every citizen must take a serious personal responsibility to follow scrupulously the advice of my Department. We cannot predict how long this challenge will last but what we can say with certainty is that carelessness now will cost us dearly.

Although things have been going well in recent days, we are by no means out of the woods yet, and we must continue to proceed with extreme caution.

But Friday night's announcement by Minister Brid Rodgers that there was a fresh confirmed case in Ardboe, Co Tyrone, is a salutory lesson to those who would suggest that the problem is over.

The position as of today, however, is that we still have had only one case of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in this jurisdiction.

There has not been a further case since the case in Proleek. The three weeks since then have not been without their tense moments however, and the negative test results from places such as Camolin and Bunclody in Co Wexford, Bray in Co Wicklow and most particularly from Piedmont in the Cooley Peninsula were greeted with a huge sigh of relief throughout the country.

The huge logistical task of protecting our national interest has, since day one, involved a host of agencies backed by tremendous support from the public as well as from business, sporting and voluntary organisations in the country.

The sense of national purpose is truly inspiring and indicative of how close to the land we remain as a people.

However, we still have a major challenge before us. The disease presents an unprecedented threat to our agricultural industry and, apart from its economic benefit, where it contributes 27 per cent of net foreign earnings, agriculture remains the backbone of rural Ireland. These are the stakes and this is the reason why we must continue to proceed with caution.

On a more positive note, it appears that the work we have done to date has been effective and, provided there are no further cases in this country in the meantime, the Commission Decision imposing export restrictions on Ireland is due to expire on April 19.

THE Expert Group is continuing its work on the basis of an analysis of the risks. In this regard it is essential that the right balance be struck between disease control measures and the gradual normalisation of activities around the country.

The Group proposed an indicative timetable for the resumption of:

the transport of fodder to areas of shortage with immediate effect, subject to observance of the relevant disinfection procedures;

the importation of horses from non infected areas in countries other than Great Britain from 9th April, subject to permitting arrangements administered by my Department;

the use, from 16th April, of marts as assembly centres for properly identified animals going directly for slaughter, subject to the agreement of a protocol with the mart groups;

the resumption, from the 19th April, of AI services subject to a protocol which was, in fact, agreed yesterday;

the resumption of repopulation of herds affected by BSE or brucellosis subject to the consideration of each case on its merits and the attendant risks;

the resumption of horse racing on a limited basis from 16th April, subject to strict adherence to agreed protocols , and of the normal fixture list from 19th April - point to point racing is still not permitted, however;

the resumption of greyhound racing from 19th April, subject to an agreed protocol and

St. Patrick's Day festivities will be allowed to proceed on the weekend 18-20 May.

In addition, the Expert Group this week revised its guidelines to the General Public and these revised guidelines are available on my Department's website.

Events involving suscepitible animals are highest risk, and restrictions will continue to apply, except where codes of practice have been agreed with my Department.

Nevertheless the Group reviewed the 1st February date which had been included in its earlier reports. In light of the current situation, I have now gone along with the recommendation that this aspect may be adjusted and that lands to which susceptible animals have not had access in the last 28 days may now be accessed for a variety of events.

I am certain that the Irish people will continue to respond in the magnificent manner shown to date.

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