A Cheann Comhairle, with your permission, I would like to make a short announcement before the Order of Business. In the last half an hour, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development has received the overnight tests from Pirbright. I would like to inform the House that the results of two of the samples taken from a flock in County Louth have proved positive for foot and mouth disease. This is a major disappointment given the intensity of the efforts by all sectors of society to keep the disease out of Ireland. It is a secondary outbreak in the same exclusion zone just south of the Border in Jenkinstown. The new outer exclusion zone was set up last evening. A number of other issues directly arise.
Subject to the agreement and co-operation of the Opposition, I would like if the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development could make a full statement to the House as soon as possible – perhaps at 11 a.m. or 11.15 a.m. – and, if it was possible, and with the agreement of the House, if Opposition spokespersons directly involved in agriculture, food and rural development could also make a statement with some questions and answers. I would ask that the Minister could be released from the House as soon as possible thereafter. We have to prepare our case immediately for the veterinary committee which will meet in the morning on just how this is handled on a national level. We also have to look at issues in relation to sheep on the Cooley Mountains and at the other farms in the area. Of course, other matters arise. The professional group will also meet in the next number of hours to issue its deliberations on how we handle this at a national level.
This is very disappointing but I ask the House for its co-operation on the matter. It is not on the Order of Business but perhaps with co-operation, it would be better if the Minister and Opposition spokespersons made statements here as quickly as possible so that the public would be aware of how we intend to handle these matters.
