Nationwide Housing Order for poultry now in place to halt spread of bird flu after cases confirmed in Carlow and Meath

A Nationwide Housing Order for Poultry is now in place in a bid to eliminate bird flu.

It means free-range farmers must house birds indoors and restrict their movements.

It follows an outbreak at Fota Wildlife Park last month, and cases in turkey flocks in Carlow and Meath where 3km protection zones and 10km surveillance zones are in place.

The Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon had revealed while on KCLR last week that this extra measure would take effect today.

There’s also a Housing Order in the North of Ireland where outbreaks have been recorded on separate poultry farms in Fermanagh and Tyrone.