Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 7th March, 2014.

I, SIMON COVENEY, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 36 of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 (No. 15 of 2013), hereby make the following regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as Animal Welfare (Electro-immobilisation) Regulations 2014 and come into operation on 6 March 2014.

2. (1) A person shall not use, or cause or permit to be used, any electrical equipment or an instrument, which applies a sustained electric current or impulse directly to a live animal-

(a) as a means of restraining the animal,

(b) as a means of immobilising the animal, or

(c) for any other purpose.

(2) A person shall not have in his or her possession or under his or her control, sell or supply any equipment made, used or adapted for a purpose prohibited under paragraph (1).

3. Regulation 2 does not apply to equipment used in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No. 1099/2009 EC of 24 September 2009¹ .

4. Regulation 2 is a penal provision to which section 36 (4)(b) of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 applies.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

4 March 2014.

SIMON COVENEY,

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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

These Regulations continue to enforce the ban on electro-immobilisation of animals and extend this ban to all animals.

1 O.J. No. L303 of 18.11.2009, p. 1-30.