Heydon: DAFM continues to liaise with NI on bird flu
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Martin Heydon, told Dáil Éireann that his department is liaising with Northern Irish counterparts as part of its ongoing efforts to monitor the evolving avian influenza situation there.
When asked by deputy John Lahart to respond to the recent outbreaks in Northern Ireland during a Dáil debate on February 20, Heydon responded that DAFM "takes the threat of avian influenza seriously".
He explained that "strict biosecurity" measures were the most effective means of protecting the national flock from bird flu and that his department were repeatedly carrying out avian influenza surveillance testing in wild birds and poultry to monitor the disease incidence in Ireland.
"This is why the Government introduced the Avian Influenza (Biosecurity Measures) Regulations last December and introduced the Avian Influenza (Precautionary Confinement of Birds and Restriction on Assembly of Live Birds) Regulations 2025, which came into effect on February 17 of this year.
"The detection of the H5N1 avian influenza virus in five wild birds in different parts of the country (counties Galway, Dublin, Westmeath, Wexford and Donegal) since early December 2024, shows that these measures are effective," Heydon said.
The regulations required that a mandatory housing order be put in place on February 17, which required all poultry and captive birds to be housed in a bid to reduce the spread of infection.
Heydon also added that DAFM undertakes "continency planning, training and other resourcing around potential avian influenza outbreaks in poultry flocks" as part of their preparatory approach to the disease.
He pointed to his department's swift efforts at tackling bird flu outbreaks in 2021 and 2022, to illustrate their successful track record in the area.
While the minister affirmed that there is little risk of human transmission of the disease, he confirmed his department was in regular contact with health authorities, should this situation change.
Heydon also advised the public to refrain from touching sick or dying wild birds, in case of possible cross-contamination.
"Veterinary officials from my department are in regular contact with medical colleagues in the HSE and HPSC in relation to the potential risk of human infection with avian influenza virus.
"The avian influenza National Coordination Group meets regularly to consider the risk and to plan accordingly. The European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) has stated that the risk to the general public from avian influenza is low.
"However, the public are advised not to touch sick or dying wild birds, in case they may be infected," he said.
As of today (Wednesday, February 26), there is no known active bird flu case in the country.
