S.I. No. 512/1998:

ABATTOIRS ACT, 1988 (VETERINARY EXAMINATION) (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) REGULATIONS, 1998

ABATTOIRS ACT, 1988 (VETERINARY EXAMINATION) (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) REGULATIONS, 1998

I, Joe Walsh, Minister for Agriculture and Food, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 39 of the Abattoirs Act, 1988 (No. 8 of 1988), and section 3 of the European Communities Act, 1972 (No. 27 of 1972), for the purpose of giving effect to Council Directive 95/23/EC of 22 June 1995¹ and Council Directive 96/23/EC of 29 April 1996², hereby make the following regulations:-

¹ O.J. L. 243, 11.10.95, p.11

² O.J. L. 125, 23.5.96, p.10

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Abattoirs Act, 1988 (Veterinary Examination) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations, 1998.

2. In these Regulations "the Principal Regulations" means the Abattoirs Act, 1988 (Veterinary Examination) Regulations, 1992 ( S.I. No. 89 of 1992 .).

3. The Principal Regulations are hereby amended by the substitution for "veterinary medicinal product" of "animal remedy" in each place it occurs.

4. Regulation 3(1) of the Principal Regulations is hereby amended by the deletion of -" 'veterinary medicinal product' has the same meaning in these Regulations as it has in the European Communities (Veterinary Medicinal Products) Regulations, 1986 ( S.I. No. 22 of 1986 ."

and the insertion of -

" 'animal remedy' has the same meaning in these Regulations as it has in the Animal Remedies Act, 1993 (No. 23 of 1993)."

5. Regulation 6 of the Principal Regulations is hereby amended by the substitution for paragraph (1) of the following paragraph:

"(1) Animals must undergo ante-mortem inspection within a period which is less than 24 hours after their arrival in the abattoir and less than 24 hours before slaughter. In addition, the veterinary inspector may require inspection at any other time."

6. Regulation 8 of the Principal Regulations is hereby amended by the insertion after the words "humane reasons" of "or the animal is an animal to which Regulation 9 of the Control of Animal Remedies and their Residues Regulations, 1998 (S.I. No. __ of 1998) applies".

7. The Principal Regulations are hereby amended by the substitution for -

(a) paragraph (j) of Regulation 11 of the following paragraph:

"(j) to be derived from an animal the slaughter of which for human consumption is prohibited by the Control of Animal Remedies and their Residues Regulations, 1998,";

(b) paragraph (i) of Part II of the First Schedule of the following paragraph:

"(i) the slaughter of the animal for human consumption is prohibited by the Animal Remedies Regulations, 1996 or the Control of Animal Remedies and their Residues Regulations, 1998, or";

(c) paragraph (j) of Part II of the First Schedule of the following paragraph:

"(j) the meat of the animal would, if the animal were to be slaughtered, be unfit for human consumption by reason of the Control of Animal Remedies and their Residues Regulations, 1998, or",

and

(d) paragraph (r) of Part II of the Second Schedule of the following paragraph:

"(r) the meat or the animal from which the meat is derived is unfit for human consumption under the provisions of the Control of Animal Remedies and their Residues Regulations, 1998;".

GIVEN under my Official Sea1, this 21 day of December, 1998.

Joe Walsh

Minister for Agriculture and Food

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations transpose Council Directive 95/23 EC to provide that ante-mortem examination must occur within both 24 hours of the animal arriving at the abattoir and within 24 hours of slaughter.

The Regulations also amend the Abattoirs Act, 1988 (Veterinary Examination) Regulations, 1992 having regard to Article 24 of Council Directive 96/23 EC.