Officials at Northern Ireland’s agriculture ministry were today accused of putting the North’s entire farming industry at risk because of a lack of information about any contingency plans to deal with future outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease.
Sinn Fein Agriculture spokesman, Mr Gerry McHugh expressed "serious concern" about a lack of awareness of plans from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for dealing with future animal epidemics.
In an attack on the department, the Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA complained: "Given the impact and cost of foot-and-mouth disease, it is totally unacceptable that at council level and farm level, people have no knowledge of what measures would be put in place in the event of any future outbreak.
"If foot-and-mouth was to break out tomorrow, no-one working in the agriculture industry would have any idea of what contingency plans the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has - if they, indeed, have any.
Northern Ireland had four cases of foot-and-mouth disease last year with outbreaks in south Armagh, Ardboe in County Tyrone and Cushendall in the Glens of Antrim.
Mr McHugh said in the wake of last year's outbreaks bio-security contingency plans needed to be put in place immediately to deal with issues such as securing areas of infection, the disposal of carcasses, prevention of the disease, transport and the movement of foodstuff and livestock.