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Following a meeting today of the General Board of the Presbyterian Church the Moderator Dr Trevor Morrow has issued the following statement in support of the farming community in Ireland.
"The farming community throughout Ireland is assured of the prayers and pastoral care of everyone in the Presbyterian Church at this critical time.
"I have admired the fortitude and resilience of all involved in the agricultural industry over the last years of setbacks and offer them my full support.
"I would encourage all to pray for wisdom and guidance for farmers and their families, government officials and vets as they fight to eradicate this dreaded virus.
"I also call on all Presbyterian congregations to take appropriate practical action as advised by the authorities in preventing further spreading of this infection.'In addition the following advice given by the Department of Agriculture has been emailed to all ministers.
By letter to the Moderator the following advice was received from Mr Peter Small of the Department of Agriculture.
"The guidance sought by church representatives in the main relates to what advice should be given to local congregation regarding the holding of church services and other events.
"I consider that decisions must have regard to local circumstances, for example purely urban congregations are different from those in rural areas. I feel that our advice should be to leave final decisions up to local clergy with a plea that the seriousness of the situation should be recognised and that, particularly in rural areas, precautions such as putting in place disinfectant mats, should be considered."Additional information was given to the General Board by Dr John Dunlop and Stephen Lynas, both of whom had been in contact with the Department of Agriculture.
"Advice from the department is for people to control the movement of animals and vehicles, for strangers to avoid walking on farmland and for people to avoid large sporting events and big gatherings of people. It is important for people to exercise caution and if in doubt err on the side of caution. There is no call for the cancellation of church services, but people should take whatever precautions they consider appropriate in their areas."
The Department of Agriculture may be contacted on (028) 9052 0100.
Issued by Stephen Lynas, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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