THE secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Mr Michael Dowling, is due in Egypt later today to help in getting the last of the 5,000 Irish cattle into Alexandria after three of the four boats stranded outside the port were allowed in yesterday.

A Department of Agriculture spokesman added that the animals on the boat had been supplied with fodder and water and there was no immediate concern for their welfare.

Efforts will also be made this weekend to try to persuade the Libyan and Iranian authorities to lift their ban on all European live stock and beef products.

Earlier, the President, Mrs Robinson, had been asked by the International Fund for Animal Welfare to intervene with the Egyptian President to safeguard the cattle stranded off Alexandria.

Ms Mary Anne Bartlett, the Irish co-ordinator of Compassion in World Farming, learned of the moves yesterday when contacted by IFAW's relief co-ordinator in South Africa.

She said IFAW had offered their support to prevent any further suffering to these animals and said they were on stand by to assist in a practical way if required.

"People here and abroad are obviously appalled at the lack of action on the part of the Irish Department of Agriculture.

."The delays in taking these animals back into the EU and off loading them are simply unacceptable and CIWF fears that the reason is money," she said.

"If these cattle are discharged within the EU then substantial grants of more than £2 million paid to the exporter out of EU taxpayers money are lost," she said.