The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, has said that he understands from German authorities that the source of a deadly strain of E.coli is a beansprouts processing plant in northern Germany.

Speaking on Morning Ireland, Minister Coveney said he expected the German authorities would officially confirm the source later today.

He emphasised that Ireland did not import any product from the affected plant, the source of strain 104 of E.coil, which had never previously been seen.