Wild Game Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Authorisation of plant inspection assistants

9.—(1) The Department may, in relation to any licensed premises processing small wild game, authorise persons employed at those premises to act as PIAs to perform the function specified in Schedule 4 in relation to small wild game.

(2) A person shall not act as a PIA unless that person is authorised under paragraph (1) and supervised by an OVS.

(3) Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), the Department may at any time revoke or suspend the authorisation of any person as a PIA if it appears to it, on the basis of a report by a veterinary officer or an OVS, that—

(a) such person is unfit to perform the functions specified in Schedule 4 or has failed to perform such functions in accordance with these Regulations; or

(b) such person ceases to be employed at the premises in relation to which he was authorised to act.

(4) Where the Department revokes or suspends an authorisation granted under paragraph (1), it shall, as soon as possible, give to the person whose authorisation has been revoked or suspended notice in writing of the reasons for such revocation or suspension and shall afford him an opportunity to make representations in writing to the Department with regard to the revocation or suspension or to be heard by a person appointed for the purpose by the Department.

(5) A notice given under paragraph (4) shall inform the person to whom it is given of his rights to make representations in writing and to be heard and of the manner in which and the time (not being less than 21 days from the giving of the notice) within which such representations or an application for an opportunity to be heard may be made; and, in the event of that person making any representations (whether orally or in writing) to the Department under this paragraph, the Department shall reconsider whether that person is unfit to act or has failed to perform his functions as a PIA under these Regulations and shall reconsider, as soon as practicable, its decision to revoke or suspend the authorisation under paragraph (3) in the light of those representations.