Teagasc colleges around the country will be following the Government’s advice on the closure of educational institutions.

A spokesperson for Teagasc confirmed to AgriLand that its colleges will be closing, in line with the statement by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar earlier today, Thursday, March 12.

Teagasc is making contingency arrangements to deal with closures and will be in direct contact with learners in this regard.

In terms of Teagasc-organised events, all indoor Teagasc events with an expected attendance of more than 100 people will be postponed. All outdoor events with an expected attendance of over 500 people will also be postponed.

Earlier today, the Taoiseach said that all indoor gatherings of more than 100 people, and all outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people, should be suspended.

Several stakeholder groups in the agriculture sector have already given their responses to the Government’s announcement.

Earlier, Meat Industry Ireland (MII) outlined the protocols for the continued operation of meat processing facilities.

In a statement to AgriLand, MII confirmed that meat processing plants would continue working with improved regulations to limit the spread of the virus.

“MII has met with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to discuss contingency arrangements in the event of the spread of Covid-19 and the potential impact on processing sites. While the statement by the Taoiseach this morning signalled the implementation of enhanced controls nationally, it was clear that people can and should continue to go to work,” the statement said.

“Given the critical nature of food processing operations, meat processing plants will continue to operate, albeit with heightened protocols in place,” MII confirmed.