Sinn Féin call for 24 hour 'Bird Flu' Hotline
Sinn Féin Agriculture Spokesperson, Fermanagh South Tyrone MP Michelle Gildernew
has called for a number of immediate steps to protect both the farming
community and the populace at large from the threat of avian flu.
Ms
Gildernew said:
"The first confirmed outbreak of the H5N1 virus
in poultry in England requires urgent action. The Irish and British
governments should immediately take steps to protect human health and to
safeguard the poultry industry in Ireland. This virus has the potential to
spread to human beings as well as devastating the important poultry sector
of our agriculture industry.
"It is essential that farmers are
kept fully up to date with all of the relevant information on what is a very
fluid situation. They need to aware of what is happening in England and they
need to understand fully the steps that are required to protect their flocks
here.
"I believe that DARD need to move quickly to put in pace a
24 hour Hotline that is properly staffed with informed personnel.
"I
also believe that the Irish and British governments need to move to adopt a
Fortress Ireland approach. A first step must be the immediate banning of all
imports into Ireland of poultry products from Britain and other areas
affected
by the H5N1 strain.
"Now is the time to act before the virus
spreads. All necessary precautions,
including a ban on all poultry
imports into Ireland must now be taken." ENDS