Identification and Movement of Sheep and Goats Order (Northern Ireland) 2004

Slaughterhouse operators

15.  The owner or person in charge of a slaughterhouse shall –

(a) take reasonable steps to satisfy himself of the place of origin and movement history of any animal presented for slaughter;

(b) ensure that an animal is not accepted for slaughter or slaughtered unless it is identified in accordance with Article 4 or Article 11;

(c) with the exception of those animals in the category specified at paragraph (f), ensure that an animal is not accepted for slaughter unless it is accompanied by a valid copy of a notification document in accordance with Article 9;

(d) endorse the notification document relating to the animal with the name and address of the owner or person in charge of a slaughterhouse and such further information as the Department may specify on the notification document;

(e) return a copy of the completed notification document, duly signed by a representative of the operator of the slaughterhouse, to the Divisional Veterinary Office;

(f) in the case of an animal not originating from a holding in Northern Ireland but moving directly to the slaughterhouse from the point of import, ensure –

(i) that it is accompanied by the original veterinary health certificate from the country/region of origin or a copy of the same endorsed by an inspector;

(ii) that the certificate described at sub-paragraph (i) is surrendered to an inspector at the slaughterhouse at the earliest opportunity after arrival of the animals; and

(iii) that the veterinary certificate described at sub-paragraph (i) is endorsed in a manner specified by the Department upon acceptance of an animal for slaughter, ensuring that each individual animal identification number has been recorded on the document;

(g) retain a copy of the veterinary certificate referred to in paragraph (f)(iii) or the completed notification document referred to in paragraph (e) for a period of 4 years following the end of the year in which the document was received;

(h) remove all eartags from each animal and keep them in a secure place and surrender them to the Department on request.