Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 30th May, 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 the Prohibition on Tail-docking (Bovines) (No. 2) Regulations 2014 and come into operation on 3 June 2014.

2. (1) A person shall not remove or attempt to remove or cause another person to remove or attempt to remove the tail or part of the tail of a bovine.

(2) A person shall not have in his or her possession or under his or her control a bovine whose tail or part of whose tail has been removed-

(a) in contravention of paragraph (1), or

(b) that is not accompanied by a certificate issued in relation to the bovine in accordance with Regulation 4.

3. Regulation 2 does not apply to the removal of part of the tail of a single bovine, after the administration of anaesthesia, by a veterinary practitioner if, in his or her opinion, it is necessary for the proper treatment of a disease or injury in that animal and Regulation 4 and 5 are complied with.

4. If a veterinary practitioner, acting under Regulation 3, removes part of the tail of a bovine, he or she shall issue a certificate to the owner of the bovine, stating-

(a) identification of the bovine,

(b) date of procedure,

(c) disease or injury being treated, and

(d) the signature, registration number and address of the veterinary practitioner.

5. The certificate referred to in Regulation 4 shall be in legible form, given to the owner of the bovine shall accompany the bovine for life and be made available for inspection on request by an authorised officer.

6. Nothing in these Regulations purports to create a criminal offence or to revive criminal proceedings in respect of an event that occurred before the making of these Regulations.

7. Regulations 2, 4, 5 and 6 are penal provisions to which section 36 (4) (b) of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 applies.

8. The Prohibition on Tail-docking (Bovines) Regulations 2014 ( S.I. No. 117 of 2014 ) are revoked.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

28 May 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 the existing ban on non-medical tail docking of cattle.