Measures to prevent the spread of avian flu is being introduced in Ireland next week seriously compromising the daily work of Cavan and Monaghan's many poultry and egg producers. The Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon, has issued a compulsory housing order for poultry and captive birds effective from next Monday, 17th February. It follows a similar measure in the North where three cases of Avian Influenza has been detected in three wildbirds so far.
Other cases have been found in Donegal and Galway. One of the confirmed cases was in a wild goose in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone not far from the Monaghan border. Monaghan poultry farmers supply up to 80 per cent of the chicken processed in Ireland. The Northern Sound region also has many egg producers in locations from Oram and Monaghan Town to Ballinagh in Co. Cavan.
The Department is impressing on all those with poultry - even those with a few hens in the backyard - to keep their birds housed and introduce other biosecurity measure like disinfecting and handwashing. Dr Eoin Ryan Head of the National Disease Control Centre at the Department of Agriculture was on the Joe Finnegan Show earlier. He said everyone can contribute to containing this disease (listen below):
