Live: Emergency housing order issued for all poultry to protect against bird flu - Kilkenny Live

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, has announced the introduction of a compulsory housing order for poultry and captive birds, to protect them from the risk of avian influenza. The new rules will come into effect on Monday 10 November 2025.

The Minister said: “Due to the increased risk of avian influenza to our poultry, I am taking action to reduce the threat to our industry and to our poultry farmers’ livelihoods. Poultry and captive birds must, from Monday 10 November, be housed or confined in such a manner that they do not have access to other poultry, captive birds, or wild birds. Reducing the opportunity for contact with potentially infected wild birds, is crucial as this is one of the main ways in which the virus can spread.”

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Biosecurity measures in place

The Minister emphasised the importance of biosecurity: “Biosecurity remains the single most effective way to prevent the virus spreading from wild birds into poultry, or between poultry flocks. All those who have poultry or kept birds must take strict precautions and exercise the highest standards of biosecurity to protect their flocks from the threat of avian influenza, and to protect the poultry sector in Ireland.”

Minister Heydon added: “There has been strong and ongoing cooperation between my Department and The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland on this issue. Minister Muir is introducing a similar order in Northern Ireland.”

Strict new biosecurity regulations for poultry were introduced at the start of November S.I. No. 520/2025 (Avian Influenza (Biosecurity measures) Regulations) in response to the increased risk posed to Irish poultry flocks by the presence of avian influenza virus in wild birds in Ireland. The compulsory housing order is an additional risk mitigation measure.

Members of the public are advised not to handle sick or dead wild birds and to report any episodes of sick or dead wild birds to their Regional Veterinary Office or, if outside business hours, to contact the National Disease Emergency Hotline on 01 492 8026. The department continues to closely monitor and assess the disease situation and is in regular contact with industry stakeholders and counterparts in Northern Ireland.

Further information, including a detailed technical update, is available at gov.ie/birdflu.