Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 99: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the penalties that will be faced by those who breach the new requirements on equine identification as and from 1 July 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26071/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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European Commission Regulation No. 504/2008, which sets out an improved system of identification for equidae, comes into effect tomorrow, 1 July 2009 and is binding. All keepers of horses, passport issuing bodies and veterinary practitioners are obliged to comply with the provisions of this legislation. Anyone failing to comply with the provisions of this Regulation could face the prospect of on-the-spot fines or court proceedings resulting in a substantial fine and/or a term of imprisonment under the provisions of a Statutory Instrument being finalised in my Department.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 100: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the arrangements that have been put in place to ensure all foals born from 1 July 2009 are identified in accordance with regulation No. 504/2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26070/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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EU and national legislation currently requires that all equines be accompanied by a passport (identification document) when being moved. In addition the vast majority of approved studbook keeping organisations operating in this country currently require that animals are micro-chipped as part of their registration systems.

European Commission Regulation No. 504/2008 comes into effect tomorrow, 1 July 2009 and is binding. All keepers of horses, passport issuing bodies and veterinary practitioners are obliged to comply with the provisions of this legislation. All foals born from tomorrow onwards (and also older animals if they have not been previously registered prior to 1 July 2009), will have to be identified by their individual passports and by a microchip, with the number of the microchip having to be entered on the passport also. All foals must be identified in this manner within six months of birth. The Regulation does not have retrospective effect.

My Department has met with representatives of the approved issuing bodies and with representatives of veterinary practitioners to outline in detail for them the impact of the new arrangements. A press release issued from my Department on June 10 2009 to the media, highlighting the principal features of Regulation 504/2008, this press release was also circulated widely to the various stakeholders in the equine industry e.g. the approved issuing bodies, the Veterinary Council, Veterinary Ireland, marts where horses are sold and major equestrian centres. Guidelines will issue shortly to veterinary practitioners and to the approved issuing bodies to assist them to comply with Regulation 504/2008. The necessary Statutory Instrument to support the application of Regulation 504/2008 is in the final stages of preparation in my Department.

Passports issued from 1 July 2009 must conform to Regulation 504/2008. Equine passports can only be obtained from one of the issuing bodies approved for this purpose, an up-to-date list of approved organisations can be found on my Department's website. Regulation 504/2008 sets out in detail the procedures to be followed and the responsibilities placed on passport issuing organisations and veterinary practitioners when issuing equine passports. My Department has taken steps to alert passport issuing organisations and veterinary practitioners of the obligations Regulation 504/2008 will place on them.

Since the vast majority of approved studbook keeping organisations operating in this country currently require that animals are micro-chipped as part of their registration systems, changes which require that all equines will have to be micro-chipped from 1 July 2009 will have limited impact. I am satisfied that the organisations responsible for the issuing of equine identification documents are fully aware of the arrangements they need to put in place to comply with Regulation 504/2008