S.I. No. 117/2014 - Prohibition on Tail-docking (Bovines) Regulations 2014.

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 7th March, 2014.

I, SIMON COVENEY, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 36 of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 (No. 15 of 2013), hereby make the following Regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Prohibition on Tail-docking (Bovines) Regulations 2014 and come into operation on 6 March 2014.

2. A person shall not remove or attempt to remove or cause another person to remove or attempt to remove the tail or part of the tail of a bovine.

3. Regulation 2 does not apply to the removal of part of the tail of a bovine, after the administration of anaesthesia, by a veterinary practitioner if, in his or her opinion it is necessary for the proper treatment of a disease or injury in a single animal and Regulation 4 is complied with.

4. If a veterinary practitioner, acting under Regulation 3, removes part of the tail of a bovine, he or she shall issue a certificate to the owner of the bovine, stating—

(a) identification of the bovine,

(b) date of procedure,

(c) disease or injury being treated,

(d) the signature, registration number, practice stamp and address of the veterinary practitioner.

5. The certificate referred to in Regulation 4 shall be in legible form, given to the owner of the bovine and shall accompany the bovine for life.

6. Nothing in these Regulations purports to create a criminal offence or to revive criminal proceedings in respect of an event that occurred before the making of these Regulations.

7. Regulations 2, 4, 5 and 6 are penal provisions to which section 36 (4) (b) of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 applies.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

4 March 2014.

SIMON COVENEY,

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

These Regulations continue the existing ban on non-medical tail docking of cattle.