S.I. No. 196 of 2001

Diseases of Animals Act, 1966 (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) (Temporary Restriction on Sheep Shearing) Order, 2001

I, Joe Walsh, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 3 and 13 of the Diseases of Animals Act, 1966 (No. 6 of 1966) (as adapted by the Agriculture and Food (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order, 1999 ( S.I. No. 307 of 1999 )), to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, hereby order as follows:-

1.(1)  This Order may be cited as the Diseases of Animals Act, 1966 (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) (Temporary Restriction on Sheep Shearing) Order, 2001 and shall cease to have effect on 21 May, 2001.

(2)  A reference to an Article is to an Article of this Order, unless it appears that a reference to some other enactment is intended.

2.       Subject to Article 5, a person shall not -

(a)      enter any lands or premises for the purpose of shearing sheep,

(b)      bring any equipment for shearing sheep onto any lands or premises where sheep are located, or

(c)      shear sheep on any land or premises.

3.       Subject to Article 5, a person shall not permit another person to --

(a)      enter any lands or premises for the purpose of shearing sheep,

(b)      bring any equipment for shearing sheep onto any lands or premises where sheep are located, or

(c)      shear sheep on any land or premises.

4.       A person shall not have wool in his or her possession or under his or her control that has been obtained from sheep in contravention of Article 2.

5.       Article 2 and Article 3 shall not apply to a person who is the owner or person in charge of sheep who, for animal welfare reasons, shears sheep that are his or her property on the lands or premises where they are located and who --

(a)      may be assisted by a person who is in his or her full-time employment or a member of the immediate family of the owner,

(b)      does not move the sheep being shorn,

(c)      disinfects him or herself and any equipment when shearing is completed,

(d)      does not move, or cause or permit the removal of, wool obtained from the lands or premises where the sheep are located for a period of at least 30 days, and

(e)      has given at least 3 clear days notice in writing of his or her intention to shear the sheep to the District Veterinary Office responsible for the place where the sheep are located.

6.       A person shall not pack wool in used sacks.

7.       This Order is in addition to, and not in substitution for, the Diseases of Animals Act, 1966 (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) (Restriction on Movement of Persons) Order, 2001 ( S.I. No. 160 of 2001 ).

Explanatory Note

This note is not part of the instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.

This Order places restrictions on sheep shearing until 21 May 2001.

Published by the Stationery Office, Dublin 2.