The Assembly met at 10.30 am (Mr Speaker in the Chair).

Members observed two minutes’ silence.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

I have received notice from the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development that she wishes to make a statement on the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

I am grateful for this opportunity to make a statement to the Assembly about the present foot-and-mouth disease situation.

Before doing so, I want to express my sympathy to the agriculture industry here, especially to farmers, for the fact that they are once again the victims of circumstances outside their control. Once more they face disruption, cost and uncertainty arising out of an animal disease that, although it originated elsewhere, impacts on their livelihoods. I want to reassure farmers that my staff and I are doing everything humanly possible to limit the problems that this latest disaster will cause for them.

I also express my regret to the Assembly for my absence last Tuesday, 27 February, when I was due to respond to a private notice question from Mr George Savage, Member for Upper Bann. I had to attend a meeting with the Prime Minister in Downing Street at very short notice on my way back from the Council of Agriculture Ministers in Brussels. At that stage, foot- and-mouth disease had not been confirmed in Northern Ireland, and it was vital that I attend that meeting in the interests of pressing Northern Ireland’s case for regionalisation. Sadly, that case has been weakened and delayed due to the confirmation that foot-and-mouth disease is present in Northern Ireland.

I first became aware of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Britain on 20 February, when Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food officials advised that there was a suspected case of swine vesicular disease in a pig in an abattoir in Essex.

That disease is clinically very similar to foot-and- mouth disease and laboratory testing is required to distinguish between the two. By the following morning — Wednesday 21 February — the disease had been confirmed to be foot-and-mouth disease.

Since then, it has become clear that the disease originated in Tyne and Wear some weeks before coming to light in Essex and that it has spread considerably throughout Great Britain. Unfortunately, it is now clear that the irresponsible actions of a few individuals in the illegal trade of sheep from Great Britain to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have introduced the disease and placed the agriculture industry across the island of Ireland in serious jeopardy. Equally importantly, the lack of co-operation from those involved caused unnecessary delay in ensuring rapid and effective action against such a contagious disease as foot-and-mouth disease.

There has been some ill-informed and, I dare say, politically-motivated criticism of my Department’s response to this crisis. I resent the fact that some people choose to make mischief at a time when we should all devote our efforts to dealing with this most serious situation. However, I want to set the record absolutely straight about exactly what my Department and I have been doing.

On being advised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in Great Britain on 21 February that we were dealing with foot-and-mouth disease, I immediately banned the import from, or export to, Great Britain of live cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and other susceptible animals. I also banned the import of associated products from Great Britain. That was done by staff from my Department, in person, at the ports and airports. On that very night cargo which was already on the high seas was, turned back to Great Britain. Those measures attracted considerable criticism from Great Britain because of the trade implications, but I believed that they were the correct steps to take to protect our animal health position and to put Northern Ireland in the best possible position to make its case to be allowed to resume exports as soon as possible. Those decisions would not have been possible had we not had a devolved administration in Northern Ireland.

It is impossible to put arrangements of this complexity in place instantaneously, but my Department’s approach has been risk-based. We dealt first, with the greatest threat — live animal imports — and then moved to deal with the lesser, but important, risks, such as dealing with passengers returning on flights and ferries.

It has since emerged that those steps were too late, since infected sheep had already been brought into Northern Ireland and illegally traded on 19 February — before MAFF had discovered the Essex case.

We have since had one outbreak of the disease confirmed in County Armagh and several other reports are being investigated. However, at this time, none of these is a major cause for concern.

Three-kilometre and 10-kilometre zones have been established around the farm in south Armagh. In the three-kilometre zone there is a virtual standstill on the movement of animals, except for emergency slaughter. Every road into, or out of, that zone has been sealed off. In the 10-kilometre zone very tight controls are also in place. Animals may move under authorisation in, but not outside, the 10-kilometre zone.

There have been various reports about these controls being ignored by local farmers and members of the public. My staff are doing all they can in the circumstances as regards the closure of roads, the posting of notices, provision of disinfectant and giving of advice. I have appealed to the public to stay away from these areas and to act responsibly in helping us to eradicate this disease. In the final analysis, we have to rely on their doing so.

There have also been suggestions that there should be a heavier army and RUC involvement on the border to match the activity of the Irish army and gardaí and to prevent illegal movements. My Department is in daily contact with the RUC and the Army and will call on them further if necessary.

Returning to the outbreak itself, all of the animals on the affected farm, together with those on adjacent or in-contact farms, have been slaughtered as a precautionary measure. It may also be necessary to slaughter further animals connected with this outbreak.

Members will also be aware that various lines of investigation are being pursued in relation to the sheep believed to be at the centre of the outbreak in south Armagh, and that a man was arrested recently for questioning. Several other individuals are involved in this investigation, but I am not prepared to elaborate on that at this stage, as I wish to avoid prejudicing the outcome.

So far as the smuggled sheep are concerned, we know that the vast majority of the animals in the original consignment, which was illegally traded from Scotland, where it had been in contact with infected animals at a market in Carlisle, have gone to the Irish Republic and were slaughtered in County Roscommon inside six hours. We also know now that some of the remainder of the consignment was deposited on another holding in south Armagh before being taken to the Republic of Ireland. The authorities in the Republic of Ireland have been advised.

We are also investigating reports that other illegally-traded consignments of sheep from Scotland may have been dispersed in the south Derry area. Information is incomplete, but there is evidence that some sheep from these consignments may have been sold in Swatragh market on 10 February. Veterinary staff are following this up.

All the animals that were properly certified into Northern Ireland over the relevant period and which arrived at the destination indicated on the certificate, and where the co-operation of people was given, have been traced and are being checked daily for clinical signs of disease.

I want to make clear again to the Assembly my disgust at the irresponsible way in which a very small number of people have behaved. As a result of this behaviour, the farming industry in Northern Ireland, and indeed in Ireland as a whole, has now been imperilled.

There have been criticisms of the follow-up action that we have taken. Where people have co-operated with us and obeyed the rules, we have acted swiftly and decisively. It is more difficult, however, to take action where the presence of animals is not known or where misleading information has been given as to their whereabouts. In due course, those responsible will be subject to the full process of law.

In the meantime, we have a major job to do to stamp out this disease. I have taken several measures — apart from those referred to earlier — to help in that respect. The movement of all susceptible animals in Northern Ireland has been banned except for those going to direct slaughter; all livestock auctions and markets have been banned; and the movement of horses to, from, and within, Northern Ireland has been banned for at least three weeks. I have closed the Department’s colleges until further notice. All of the Department’s forest parks are also closed.

The presence on farms of Department of Agriculture staff has been reduced to the absolute minimum, and then only where absolutely essential. I have tightened the controls on the use of pigswill. I have advised the organisers of sporting events to consider whether these are really necessary, and I have also advised against gatherings of farmers or of people on farms. I am promoting the concept of fortress farms, and I have advised members of the public not to visit the countryside unnecessarily.

I have also taken steps to ensure that, in spite of livestock inspections having been postponed, farmers will still be able to receive their livestock subsidy payments. All public utilities and local authorities have been contacted, and advice has been given in relation to their work in the countryside.

I realise that many of these measures will cause great inconvenience to the farming community and to the general public. However, I know that the vast majority of people are anxious to help and will act responsibly.

I fully appreciate the impact that all of these measures will have on everyone in Northern Ireland — from the farmers, who, as I have already said, are now subject to yet another crisis not of their own making, to the shoppers, who may find that some of the product lines that they expect to find on supermarket shelves are no longer available. However, anyone who has watched the dreadful scenes on television of hundreds of animals being slaughtered and incinerated will appreciate how important it is for the disease to be quickly controlled in Northern Ireland. I was moved by a report in one of the Sunday papers describing the distress felt by one farmer who could not bear to look at his animals knowing that they were about to be slaughtered.