Quick response vital - Gildernew

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Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew has said it was vital to act quickly to help protect Northern Ireland from foot-and-mouth disease.

She said that a swift and strong response was the only option after news of the outbreak on a farm in Surrey.

"All I could think about was 'we have to close the ports', and I didn't ask anyone could we do it, I just said we're doing it," Ms Gildernew said.

She was speaking on Radio Ulster's Inside Politics programme.

The minister added: "I'm very glad I acted - acted I suppose in some ways instinctively.

"But I felt it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission and I would deal with the consequences had I acted outside of my remit." Ms Gildernew said aquick response was necessary

On Thursday, executive ministers were updated on measures to prevent the disease spreading to Northern Ireland and attempts to safeguard the export trade of the local agri/food industry.

Northern Ireland is excluded from EU restrictions banning livestock and dairy from the UK, which will continue until 25 August.

First Minister Ian Paisley has already spoken to the Foreign Office about the difficulties encountered by some Northern Ireland firms shipping meat and dairy products abroad.

A shipment of pork from County Tyrone was stopped from entering Japan and a local dairy company claimed Germany had refused its produce.

Dale Farm said orders were at risk after what it claimed was Germany's decision to ban all UK milk products.

Difficulties were also being encountered in shipping dairy products to South American markets.