S.I. No. 144/1998:

DISEASES OF ANIMALS (BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY) (SPECIFIED RISK MATERIAL) (AMENDMENT) ORDER, 1998

DISEASES OF ANIMALS (BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY) (SPECIFIED RISK MATERIAL) (AMENDMENT) ORDER, 1998

I, JOE WALSH, Minister for Agriculture and Food, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 3 , 13 and 27 of the Diseases of Animals Act, 1966 (No. 6 of 1966), as adapted by the Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Alteration of Name of Department and title of Minister) Order, 1997 ( S.I. No. 302 of 1997 ) hereby order as follows:-

1. (1) This Order may be cited as the Diseases of Animals (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) (Specified Risk Material) (Amendment) Order, 1998.

(2) This Order shall come into operation on the 18th day of May, 1998.

(3) The Diseases of Animals (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) Orders, 1989 to 1997, and this Order may be cited together as the Diseases of Animals (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) Orders, 1989 to 1998.

2. The Diseases of Animals (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) (Specified Risk Material) Order, 1997 ( S.I. No. 80 of 1997 ) is hereby amended--

(a) by the substitution in Article 2 of the following definition for the definition entitled "specified risk material"--

"specified risk material" means--

(a) the skull, the brain, the eyes, the tonsils and spinal cord of a bovine animal aged over 12 months,

(b) the skull, the brain, the eyes, the tonsils and spinal cord of a caprine or ovine animal which has a permanent incisor tooth erupted through the gum, and

(c) the spleen of a caprine or ovine animal,

and includes anything left attached to such material after dissection of the carcase and any animal matter which comes into contact with the material after it has been removed from the carcase;";

(b) by the addition of the following Article after Article 6:-

6A. A person shall not use the vertebral column of bovine, ovine or caprine animals for the production of mechanically recovered meat;

(c) by the addition of the following sub-paragraph to paragraph (2) of Article 10:-

"(c) the owner or person in charge thereof will maintain a written record in such form and contain such particulars as the Minister may require, for a period of six years, of the weight and origin of the specified risk material.";

(d) by the addition of the following Article after Article 14:-

14A. A local authority shall execute and enforce this Order within its functional area in respect of any abattoir licensed by the Minister in accordance with the provisions of the Abattoirs Act, 1988 (No. 8 of 1988).

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 11th day of May, 1998.

JOE WALSH,

Minister for Agriculture and Food.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

This Order amends the Diseases of Animals (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) (Specified Risk Material) Order, 1997 ( S.I. No. 80 of 1997 ) by, among other things, including a revised definition of specified risk material and a prohibition on the production of mechanically recovered meat from the vertebral columns of cattle, sheep and goats.