The minister confirmed that the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has published Ireland’s self-declaration of freedom from HPAI viruses in poultry on its website, with an effective date of 01 January 2026. Commenting, he said: “This publication means that Ireland has regained its avian influenza-free status. It is a real credit to our poultry industry and my department, and I want to acknowledge the effort involved in reaching this point. Unfortunately, we’re still in the high-risk period and I want to remind all stakeholders to remain vigilant.” He highlighted the importance of compliance with measures (outlined below) which remain in place in relation to housing orders and biosecurity measures, and all relevant information is contained here: http://www.gov.ie/birdflu