Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, has emphasised the need for all those with poultry and kept birds to implement the highest standards of biosecurity to protect their flocks from avian influenza, also known as bird flu.

The minister made his comments as a suspected outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza was detected in a large poultry flock in Omagh, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

Minister Heydon said: “As we enter into the winter months, the risk of avian influenza becomes higher.

"My message for anybody who has poultry or kept birds is clear: please take strict precautions and exercise the highest standards of biosecurity to protect your flocks from the threat of avian influenza, and to protect the poultry sector in Ireland.

"We know that this virus has been found this year in wild birds across Ireland.

"Biosecurity is the single most effective way to prevent the virus spreading from wild birds into poultry.”

Minister Heydon also expressed his support for Northern Ireland agriculture minister Andrew Muir and his department who are dealing with this suspected outbreak of avian influenza.

"My department is in regular and close communication with their counterparts in Northern Ireland, and is keeping this situation under ongoing review," Minister Heydon added.

The minister emphasised the need for all those with poultry to register their flocks with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

“It is vital that all poultry holdings are registered with my department, whether commercial farms or those who have one or two backyard hens," Heydon added.

"It is a legal requirement, and it is also essential to help protect poultry flocks and farmers livelihoods from the impacts which an outbreak of this disease would bring."

In 2025, 41 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza have been detected in wild birds in locations across Ireland, all but one of which were H5N1.

One single outbreak of H5N1 occurred in a very small captive bird flock in Co. Donegal in July. 

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.

DAFM has stated that it continues to closely monitor and assess the disease situation and is in regular contact with industry stakeholders and counterparts in Northern Ireland.