22 March 2001

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Foot & Mouth in Louth: Body blow to Irish farming, says Co Cllr

Louth Sinn Fein County Councillor Arthur Morgan has described news of today's outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in Co Louth as ``deeply disappointing - a body blow to farming and rural communities throughout the country''.  Cllr Morgan, who lives within miles of the farm where the outbreak occurred, said: ``It is essential that we act with renewed vigilance and that full co-operation is given to agricultural authorities by the public on both sides of the Border so that this outbreak can be contained.''  Cllr Morgan said:

``No one can underestimate the impact that this outbreak will have on  farming communities and throughout rural Ireland.  In recent days I have met with people in the tourism industry in the Cooley Peninsula who described the hardships they are facing due to a major loss of business.  I want to express my sympathy to those affected and I know that local people and the farming community will continue to act responsibly, as they have in recent weeks.

Cllr Morgan has backed calls by Sinn Fein TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin for the Irish Government to raise at EU level ``the abysmal response of the British authorities to this crisis''. He said:  ``The British Government should be required to compensate its neighbours, particularly business enterprises which are being wiped out because of FMD, as well as its own hard-hit farming sector.'' Cllr Morgan also asked why British troop movements have continued unrestricted through several farmlands, coming into contact with livestock in different locations along the Border.

ENDS  - Cllr Arthur Morgan @ 087 833 4113 or 042 93 28859

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