No. 323/1936:

SLAUGHTER OF ANIMALS (APPROVED INSTRUMENTS) ORDER, 1936.

SLAUGHTER OF ANIMALS (APPROVED INSTRUMENTS) ORDER, 1936.

WHEREAS it is enacted by sub-section (1) of Section 16 of the Slaughter of Animals Act, 1935 (No. 45 of 1935), that the Minister for Agriculture may, whenever he thinks proper, by order declare any particular type of instrument for slaughtering animals or for rendering animals unconscious to be an approved instrument for the purposes of Part II of the said Act in relation to all kinds of animals or in relation only to specified kinds of animals:

AND WHEREAS it is enacted by sub-section (3) of Section 16 of the said Act that whenever the Minister for Agriculture makes an order under the said Section declaring a particular type of instrument to be an approved instrument for the purposes of Part II of the said Act, he shall by the same order prescribe the manner of using instruments of that type which shall be the approved manner for the said purposes of using such instruments:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, SÉAMAS Ó RIAIN, Minister for Agriculture, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sub-sections (1) and (3) of Section 16 of the Slaughter of Animals Act, 1935 (No. 45 of 1935), and of every and any other power me in this behalf enabling, do hereby order as follows :—

1. This Order may be cited as the Slaughter of Animals (Approved Instruments) Order, 1936.

2. The Interpretation Act, 1923 (No. 46 of 1923), applies to the interpretation of this Order in like manner as it applies to the interpretation of an Act of the Oireachtas.

3. In this Order—

the expression " the Minister " means the Minister for Agriculture;

the word " animal " includes only cattle, sheep, goats, horses, asses and mules.

4. It is hereby declared that each of the following types of instruments shall, in relation to a particular kind of animal, be an approved instrument for the purposes of Part II of the Slaughter of Animals Act, 1935 (No. 45 of 1935), that is to say :—

(a) an instrument which is of the " captive bolt " type and in respect of the make or class of which the Minister for Agriculture has certified in writing that it is in respect of that kind of animal suitable,

(b) an instrument which is so constructed and designed as to be capable of rendering animals unconscious by means of electric current and in respect of the make or class of which the Minister for Agriculture has certified in writing that it is in respect of that kind of animal suitable.

5. —(1) The following provisions shall have effect in relation to the use of an instrument which is in relation to a particular kind of animal an approved instrument of the type mentioned in paragraph (a) of Article 4 of this Order, that is to say :—

(a) in case the Minister gives specific directions as to the user of such instrument, such instrument shall be used in accordance with such directions, and

(b) in any other case, such instrument shall be kept in as close contact as possible with the animal's head at the appropriate point of penetration and shall be maintained in such position until the instrument has been operated.

(2) In this Article the expression " the appropriate point of penetration " means—

(a) in relation to horses, asses and mules, a point represented by the upper angle formed by the intersection of a line drawn from the base of one ear to the outer angle of the eye opposite such ear and a line drawn from the base of the other ear to the outer angle of the eye opposite such ear ;

(b) in relation to cattle, the middle point on a line which—

(i) extends from the highest limit of the skull (frontal bone), and

(ii) bisects at right angles a straight line passing through the centre of each eye,

(c) in relation to sheep and goats, a point in the area which is anterior to the base of the ear and behind the eye.

6. The following provisions shall have effect in relation to the use of an instrument which is in relation to a particular kind of animal an approved instrument of the type mentioned in paragraph (b) of Article 4 of this Order, that is to say—

(a) the terminals shall be so applied that the straight line or lines connecting the terminals pass through the central nervous system (brain),

(b) the animal shall not be exposed to the current until the instrument is applied and contacted in the manner specified in the directions from the supplier as covered or modified (as the case may be) in the Minister's approval of the instrument,

(c) the instrument shall be so applied that the terminals shall not contact at points other than the head, including the poll, face and immediate vicinity, unless in such cases and under such conditions as may be indicated in the Minister's approval of the instrument.

Given under my Seal of Office, this 27th day or October, 1936.

(Signed) SÉAMAS Ó RIAIN,

Minister for Agriculture.