Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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393. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason horse breeders and other stakeholders were not made aware of a statutory instrument (details supplied) which came into being on 17 February 2015, until March 2016; and if the passports of horses that were registered within that period were excluded from the food chain. [38312/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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While Commission Implementing Regulation 262/2016 was published by the EU Commission on 17 February 2015, it only came into effect on 1 January 2016 and was transposed into national legislation via S.I. No 62 of 2016 (as amended) in February 2016.

My Department consulted with a range of stakeholders, including approved horse breeding organisations, during the negotiating process on the EU Regulation No 262/2015 and subsequently when drafting the national implementing regulations. In addition, following the publication S.I. No 62 of 2016 in February 2016, my Department’s Press Office liaised with various farming and equine publications in highlighting changes to the legislation.

With regard to horses registered between 17 February 2015 and March 2015, the position is that horses registered before 31 December 2015 are subject to the rules set out in Commission Regulation 504/2008. Horses registered after that date are subject to the rules of Regulation No 262/2015. Accordingly, the food chain status of equines identified between 17 February 2015 and March 2016 is determined by provisions of these regulations.