The Plant Health (Official Controls and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020

Powers of entry

28.—(1) A plant health inspector may enter any premises at a reasonable time for the purpose of—

(a) performing official controls to verify that—

(i) an operator is complying with the Official Controls Regulation;

(ii) a professional operator is complying with the EU Plant Health Regulation;

(iii) a person is complying with these Regulations; or

(iv) any plants, plant products or other objects which are subject to an EU plant health rule or to the requirements in Schedule 1 comply with the rule or those requirements;

(b) carrying out other official activities which are to be performed by the Department pursuant to the Official Controls Regulation, the EU Plant Health Regulation or these Regulations;

(c) enforcing the Official Controls Regulation, the EU Plant Health Regulation or these Regulations;

(d) verifying information supplied by a person in connection with an application for registration or for an authorisation or permit granted, or to be granted, under these Regulations;

(e) ascertaining whether a condition of an authorisation or permit granted by the Department for the purpose of the EU Plant Health Regulation or the Official Controls Regulation is being, or has been, complied with.

(2) A plant health inspector must, if requested to do so, produce evidence of the inspector’s authority before entering any premises for the purposes specified in paragraph (1).

(3) Paragraph (1) does not apply to any premises which are used wholly or mainly as a private dwelling unless 24 hours’ notice has been given to the occupier.

(4) A plant health inspector who enters premises for a purpose specified in paragraph (1) or under a warrant issued by a lay magistrate may—

(a) examine, photograph or mark any part of the premises, any object on the premises or anything that is attached to or otherwise forms part of the premises;

(b) in the case of premises being used to manufacture wood packaging material, examine or test any treatment facility, machinery, tools or other equipment used for the manufacture of wood packaging material or observe and monitor the manufacture of wood packaging material;

(c) take samples of or from—

(i) any plant pest;

(ii) any plant, plant product or other object; or

(iii) any container, package or item which has been or may have been in contact with a plant pest or plant, plant product or other object;

(d) open any container or package or require the owner or person in charge of any container or package to open the container or package;

(e) inspect or make copies of any documents or records (in whatever form they may be held) relating to the production of, or any activities relating to, any plant, plant product or other object.

(5) A plant health inspector may destroy or otherwise dispose of any sample taken under this regulation when the sample is no longer required.

(6) A plant health inspector may—

(a) be accompanied—

(i) by a representative of the European Commission or an authorised officer of any competent authority designated in the Union territory for the purposes of the EU Plant Health Regulation or the Official Controls Regulation; or

(ii) such other persons as the inspector considers necessary; and

(b) bring onto the premises such equipment and vehicles as the inspector considers necessary.

(7) A plant health inspector who is accompanied by a person mentioned in paragraph (6)(a)(i) may—

(a) show the person any documents or records which are inspected by the inspector under paragraph (4)(e); and

(b) make copies, or require copies to be made, of those documents or records for that person.

(8) A person accompanying a plant health inspector under paragraph (6)(a)(ii) may—

(a) remain on the premises and from time to time re-enter the premises without a plant health inspector;

(b) bring onto the premises any equipment or vehicles that the person considers necessary; and

(c) carry out work on the premises in a manner directed by a plant health inspector.