I have very little to say with regard to this matter. I think this case was reported on Saturday, and three or four senior veterinary surgeons of the Department have inspected the animal. The animal was sick since last Tuesday, that is, this day week, and when the veterinary inspectors of the Department went down the animal was dead. That made it particularly hard to diagnose the case. All the symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease were present, but there was one circumstance which is surprising, and that is, that notwithstanding that the animal had been sick, after six or seven days none of the in-contact cattle has shown any signs of foot-and-mouth disease. The position is that the veterinary officers of the Department are very unwilling to confirm it as foot-and-mouth disease, but if it is not foot-and mouth disease they do not know what it is, and we will have to wait for five or six days to keep the in-contact animals under observation before we will be in a position to state definitely that it is not foot-and-mouth disease. Meanwhile the ports will be closed.
THE ADJOURNMENT. - SUSPECTED CASE OF FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE.
If it is not, will the foot-and-mouth disease restrictions be removed immediately?
Mr. HOGAN
They will.
The Dáil adjourned at 5.5 p.m.