S.I. No. 227/1973 - Slaughter of Animals (Approved Instruments) (Pigs) Order, 1973.

S.I. No. 227 of 1973.

SLAUGHTER OF ANIMALS (APPROVED INSTRUMENTS) (PIGS) ORDER, 1973.

I, Mark Clinton, Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 15 (5) and 16 (1) of the Slaughter of Animals Act, 1935 (No. 45 of 1935), and the Agriculture (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order, 1965 ( S.I. No. 146 of 1965 ), hereby order as follows:

1. This Order may be cited as the Slaughter of Animals (Approved Instruments) (Pigs) Order, 1973.

2. This Order shall come into force on the 1st day of February, 1974.

3. The Interpretation Act, 1937 (No. 38 of 1937), applies to this Order.

4. It is hereby declared that section 15 of the Slaughter of Animals Act, 1935 , shall apply to pigs.

5. It is hereby declared that each of the following types of instruments shall, in relation to pigs, be an approved instrument for the purposes of Part II of the Slaughter of Animals Act, 1935 (No. 45 of 1935), that is to say—

( a ) captive bolt pistols in respect of the make and class of which the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries has certified in writing that they are, in respect of pigs, suitable,

( b ) instruments for anaesthetisation by carbon dioxide (CO₂), and

( c ) instruments for short-interval electric stunning which have been approved by the Minister.

6. (1) The following provisions shall have effect in relation to the use of a captive bolt pistol, that is to say:—

( a ) in case the Minister gives specific directions as to the user of such instrument, the instrument shall be used in accordance with such directions, and

( b ) in any other case, the instrument shall be kept in as close contact as possible with the head of the pig at the appropriate point of application, and shall be kept in such a position until it is operated.

(2) In this Article "the appropriate point of application" means a point situated half an inch above the middle point of a line passing through the centre of each eye of the pig.

7. The following provisions shall have effect in relation to the use of an instrument for anaesthetisation by carbon dioxide (CO₂), that is to say, the carbon dioxide (CO₂) shall be administered in a chamber or by a device approved by the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries so as to produce unconsciousness in the pigs before they are shackled, hoisted and bled.

8. The following provisions shall have effect in relation to the use of an instrument for short-interval electric stunning pursuant to this Order, that is to say, the instrument shall be operated in such a way that—

( a ) when the terminals are applied the straight line connecting them shall pass through the central nervous system (brain);

( b ) the pig shall not be exposed to the current until the instrument is applied and contacted in the manner specified in the directions from the supplier as covered or modified (as the case may be) in the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries' approval of the instrument;

( c ) the instrument shall be applied so that the terminals shall not contact at points other than the head including the poll, face and immediate vicinity, unless in such cases and under such conditions as may be indicated in the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries' approval of the instrument.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 7th day of August, 1973.

MARK CLINTON,

Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

This Order

(i) applies the provisions of Section 15 of the Slaughter of Animals Act, 1935 , to pigs and,

(ii) subject to the conditions prescribed as to approval and methods of use, declares captive bolt pistols, instruments for anaesthetisation by carbon dioxide (CO₂) and instruments for short-interval electric stunning to be approved instruments for the purposes of the Slaughter of Animals Act, 1935 , in relation to pigs.