Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 4th October, 2022.

I, MALCOLM NOONAN, Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 23 of the Wildlife Act 1976 (No. 39 of 1976) , the Heritage (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 339 of 2020 ) (as adapted by the Housing, Planning and Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 408 of 2020 )) and the Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) (No. 2) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 747 of 2020 ), after consultation with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and with the concurrence of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, hereby make the following regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Wildlife Act 1976 (Protection of Wild Animals) Regulations 2022.

2. These Regulations shall come into operation on 3 October 2022.

3. The Basking Shark shall be an animal to which section 23 of the Wildlife Act 1976 (No. 39 of 1976), applies.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine concurs with the making of the foregoing Regulations.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

29 September, 2022.

CHARLIE MCCONALOGUE,

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

GIVEN under my hand,

29 September, 2022

MALCOLM NOONAN,

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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

The effect of these Regulations is to confer ‘protected wild animal’ status on the Basking Shark under section 23 of the Wildlife Act, 1976 .