Diseases of Animals Act, 1966 (National Sheep Identification System) Order, 2001

• Jurisdiction: Ireland
• Citation: IR SI 281/2001
• Year: 2001

I, Joe Walsh, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 3 , 13 and 30 of the Diseases of Animals Act, 1966 (No. 6 of 1966) (as adapted by the Agriculture and Food (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order, 1999 ( S.I. No. 307 of 1999 )) hereby order as follows:

1. (1) This Order may be cited as the Diseases of Animals Act, 1966 (National Sheep Identification System) Order, 2001.

(2) This Order shall come into operation on the 21st day of June, 2001.

2. (1) In this Order-

“the Act” means the Diseases of Animals Acts, 1966 to 2001;

“animal” means an animal of the ovine species;

“animal identification number” means a number issued in respect of animals of the ovine species on a registered holding pursuant to Article 3;

“individual animal identification number” means the number on an ear-tag specific to that animal;

“authorised person” means-

(i) a person who stands for the time being appointed under Article 21, paragraph (1), or

(ii) an authorised person or inspector within the meaning of the Act, including any person authorised to exercise the powers of an authorised person under section 25, paragraph (3), of the Act;

“District Veterinary Office” means a district veterinary office of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development;

“the Minister” means the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development;

“registered holding” means a holding which has been registered by the Minister pursuant to Regulation 3;

“registered veterinary practitioner” means a person registered in the register established under the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1931 (No. 36 of 1931);

“vehicle” means any form of road transport conveyance used for the movement of animals and includes a trailer.

(2) (a) In this Order a reference to an Article is to an Article of this Order, unless it appears that reference to some other enactment is intended.

(b) In this Order a reference to a paragraph or subparagraph is to the paragraph or subparagraph of the provision in which the reference occurs, unless it is indicted that reference to some other provision is intended.

3. (1) Any person who holds or keeps an animal on any holding in the State shall apply to the Minister, in such form as may be specified by him, for registration of the holding as a registered holding.

(2) Where, in accordance with paragraph (1), a person is required to apply for registration of holding, he shall apply for such registration at the District Veterinary Office for the area in which the holding is situated.

(3) The Minister shall register any holding specified in an application for registration unless he is satisfied that such application is not a bona fide application or that the holding has been previously registered by him.

4. No person shall have in his possession or under his control on any holding in the State any animal unless the holding has been registered by the Minister as a registered holding.

5. Where in relation to any holding which is a registered holding-

(a) there is a change in the person holding or keeping the animals on the holding, or

(b) all animals on the holding are slaughtered, sold or otherwise disposed of,

the person who applied for Registration, in accordance with Article 3, paragraph (1) or, in the case referred to in subparagraph (a) of this Regulation, the new person holding or keeping animals on the holding, shall before or on the date of the change, supply the relevant District Veterinary Office with the same particulars as are required for registration as a registered holding in accordance with Article 3 and in such form as the Minister may specify.

6. For the purposes of these Regulations-

(a) any person to whom a herd number has been allocated for the purposes of the Bovine Tuberculosis (Attestation of the State and General Provisions) Order, 1989 ( S.I. No. 308 of 1989 ) shall be deemed to have applied for registration of the holding and the herd number so issued shall be deemed to be an animal identification number for animals of the ovine species on the holding of that person to which the herd number relates;

(b) any person to whom a number has been allocated for the purposes of the following schemes operated by the Minister, that is to say, the Sheep Headage Payments Scheme in Disadvantaged Areas and the EU Ewe Premium Scheme, shall be deemed to have applied for registration of the holding and the number so issued shall be deemed to be an animal identification number for animals of the ovine species on the holding of that person to which the herd number relates.

7. Without prejudice to Article 6, the Minister may issue or cause to be issued to each registered holding an animal identification number which varies according to the species of animal held or kept on the holding.

8. A person shall not move, nor cause nor permit to be moved, an animal from a holding unless at the time of such movement-

(a) the holding is a registered holding

(b) the animal has attached to its ear(s) an ear-tag or ear-tags of a type which stands approved for the time being by the Minister in accordance with Article 13 and which bears the animal identification number issued pursuant to the registration of the relevant holding(s) and an individual animal identification number.

(c) the animal is accompanied by a document in accordance with Article 15 completed and signed by the holder or keeper of the animal.

9. (1) Subject to the provisions of Article 11, a person who holds or keeps animals on a registered holding shall, upon movement of an animal onto the holding, attach to the animal's right ear an ear-tag of a type which stands approved for the time being by the Minister in accordance with Article 13 and which bears the animal identification number of the registered holding in question and an individual animal identification number.

(2) Where an animal has previously been kept on two or more registered holdings and already has an ear-tag attached to its right ear on movement onto the registered holding, the ear-tag in its right ear shall be replaced with an ear-tag bearing the animal identification number of the registered holding in question and an individual animal identification number.

10. A person who holds or keeps animals on a registered holding shall, in the case of the loss of an ear-tag previously attached to an animal present on the holding, ensure that:

(a) where the lost ear-tag had been attached on the said holding, it is replaced by another ear-tag bearing the information relevant to that holding, or

(b) where the lost ear-tag had been attached on a previous holding, it is replaced by a yellow replacement tag of a type which stands approved for the time being by the Minister in accordance with Article 13.

11. (1) Where an animal is imported onto a registered holding from outside of the State the person who holds or keeps animals on the holding shall ensure that a red import tag of a type which stands approved for the time being by the Minister in accordance with Article 13 is, upon movement onto the holding, attached to the ear of the animal which does not bear the tag attached at point of export.

(2) Where such animal as referred to in paragraph (1) is moved to one or more further holdings, the person...