S.I. No. 161/1980:

BEES (REGULATION OF IMPORT) ORDER, 1980.

BEES (REGULATION OF IMPORT) ORDER, 1980.

I, RAY MacSHARRY, Minister for Agriculture, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by Section 2 of the Agricultural Products (Regulation of Import) Act, 1938 (No. 14 of 1938), after consultation with the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism, order as follows:

1. (1) This Order may be cited as the Bees (Regulation of Import) Order, 1980.

(2) This Order shall come into operation on the 16th day of June 1980.

2. In this Order "bees" means honey bees and includes such bees in any stage of their life cycle.

3. The Importation of bees is hereby prohibited save under and in accordance with a licence in that behalf issued by the Minister under this Order.

4. (1) The Minister may, at his discretion, issue a licence to import bees, otherwise than in a skep or other fixed-comb hive, subject to a condition that before the bees or any of them are consigned the consignor shall forward by post to the Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Dublin 2, a certificate as respects both the health and the species, sub-species or strain of the bees (in such form as may be specified in the licence) of a duly authorised officer of the Government of the country in which the bees were produced, and that each consignment to which the licence relates shall be accompanied by a copy of the certificate which shall be delivered to an Officer of Customs and Excise at the same time as the relevant entry under the Customs Acts is delivered.

(2) Whenever the Minister issues a licence under this Order he may attach to the licence any one or more of the following additional conditions:--

( a ) a condition that the bees to which the licence relates shall have been produced in a specified country;

( b ) a condition that such bees shall be imported within a specified time or during a specified period;

( c ) a condition that such bees shall be imported from a specified country;

( d ) a condition that such bees shall be imported at a specified port or place or by a specified route;

( e ) a condition that such bees shall not be imported in more than a specified number of consignments;

( f ) a condition that such bees shall be imported by a specified person;

( g ) a condition that such bees shall be consigned from a particular person;

( h ) a condition that such bees shall be disposed of in a specified manner or for a specified purpose, or both in a specified manner and for a specified purpose.

(3) The Minister may at any time revoke any licence issued under this Order.

5. Any person who imports or attempts to import bees in contravention of this Order or who aids or abets the importation of bees in contravention of this Order shall be guilty of an offence under this Order and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 30th day of May, 1980.

RAY MacSHARRY,

Minister for Agriculture.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

The effect of the Order is to prohibit the importation of bees except under licence, to which conditions may be attached. Licences cannot be issued to import bees in a skep or other fixed-comb hive.