Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 17th August, 2012.

I, SIMON COVENEY, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 1 (5) and 8 (1) of the National Beef Assurance Scheme Act 2000 (No. 2 of 2000) as adapted by the Agriculture and Food (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2007 ( S.I. No. 455 of 2011 ), hereby order as follows:

1. This Order may be cited as the National Beef Assurance Scheme Act 2000 (Approval) Order 2012 and is deemed to have come into operation on 31 December 2011.

2. The period for participants to apply for the grant of a certificate of approval under section 8 of the Act is extended until 1 January 2014.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

3 July 2012.

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.)

The effect of this Order is to extend the period for participants to apply for approval under the National Beef Assurance Scheme.