Radiological Protection Act, 1991

Regulations and orders to be made by certain Ministers.

32.—(1) For the purpose of protecting individuals from levels of activity in food in circumstances where specified levels of activity have been or are likely to be exceeded—

(a) the Minister for Agriculture and Food, after consultation with the Minister, the Minister for Health, the Minister for Finance and the Institute, may make regulations designating an area (in this section referred to as a “designated area”) to be an area in which specified levels of activity have been exceeded or are likely to be exceeded and regulating in that area agricultural activities including harvesting, slaughtering, animal feeding and related activities including production and processing of food and, without prejudice to the generality of the aforesaid, regulating—

(i) the movement of any animals, fauna, poultry, eggs, crops, carcases, feeding stuffs, litter, dung or any food within, into or out of a designated area,

(ii) the sale of any animals, fauna, poultry, eggs, crops, carcases, feeding stuffs, litter, dung or any food originating in a designated area, or

(iii) the production, movement or sale of bottled water;

(b) the Minister for Agriculture and Food, after consultation with the Minister, the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Health and the Institute, may make regulations regulating—

(i) the harvesting of crops,

(ii) the slaughter of animals, fauna or poultry,

(iii) the feeding to any animals, fauna or poultry of any feeding stuff—

(I) that was grown, prepared or processed in a designated area or in contravention of a regulation made under this section, or

(II) that was taken from a designated area after a time specified in a regulation made under this section,

(iv) the sale in the State, the importation into the State or the exportation from the State of any animals, fauna, poultry, eggs, crops, carcases, feeding stuffs, bottled water, food, litter or dung, or

(v) generally any matter, in relation to animals, fauna, poultry, eggs, crops, carcases, feeding stuffs, dung, litter, food, bottled water, the production or processing of food or the production of bottled water as he may think expedient for the protection of individuals;

(c) the Minister for the Marine, after consultation with the Minister, the Minister for Health and the Institute, may make regulations designating an area (in this section referred to as a “specified area”) to be an area in which specified levels of activity have been exceeded or may be exceeded and regulating in that area fishing and aquaculture activities, the preparation, treatment and marketing of fish and fishery products and seaweed harvesting and, without prejudice to the generality of the aforesaid, regulating—

(i) the taking of fish, the fishing for fish or the movement of fish or seaweed within, into or out of a specified area,

(ii) the landing of fish which were taken from waters in a specified area, or

(iii) the sale of fish, fishery products or seaweed taken from a specified area;

(d) the Minister for the Marine, after consultation with the Minister, the Minister for Health and the Institute, may make regulations regulating—

(i) the taking of fish or the fishing for fish,

(ii) the harvesting of seaweed,

(iii) the sale in the State, the importation into the State or the exportation from the State of fish, fishery products or seaweed,

(iv) the preparation, treatment, processing and marketing of fish and fishery products whether or not such fish or fishery products are intended for human consumption, or

(v) generally any matter in relation to fish, seaweed or aquaculture activities as he may think expedient for the protection of individuals;

(e) the Minister for Finance, after consultation with the Minister, the Minister for Health, the Minister for Agriculture and Food and the Institute, may make regulations regulating—

(i) the taking of fauna or the hunting for fauna,

(ii) the sale of any fauna,

(iii) generally any matter in relation to fauna as he may think expedient for the protection of individuals; and

(f) the Minister for Health, after consultation with the Minister, the Minister for Agriculture and Food and the Institute, may make regulations regulating the importation into or the exportation from the State of any food.

(2) Where there is or there is likely to be a radiological emergency—

(a) the Minister for Agriculture and Food, after consultation with the Minister and the Institute, may make an order acquiring compulsorily any animals, fauna, poultry, eggs, crops, carcases, feeding stuffs, bottled water or any food, and

(b) the Minister for the Marine, after consultation with the Minister and the Institute, may make an order acquiring compulsorily any fish, seaweed or fishery products.