Vol. 537 No. 5
225 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the exact conditions his Department will impose in the registration process for sheep shearers; the way in which such a process will facilitate persons from outside the country; such as those from Australia; if he will ensure that the regime he intends to introduce will not exclude such persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16767/01]
Having regard to foot and mouth disease and the danger of it spreading because of the close physical contact between the sheep shearer and the sheep, a temporary ban on shearing was introduced from 1 May to 28 May. Statutory Instrument No. 228 of 2001 introduced a regime which allowed for the resumption of commercial sheep shearing with effect from 28 May 2001 under certain conditions. One of the conditions is a requirement for commercial sheep shearers to register with the Department.
In order to be registered as a commercial sheep shearer an applicant is required to supply the following: name, address, telephone number, date of birth and personal public service number. The PPSN is required as a data item to assist in the identification of individuals. A copy of a passport is accepted in cases where the applicant is not an Irish national and therefore is not in a position to supply a personal public service number. A registration certificate issues in respect of each completed application on the basis that the applicant complies with the conditions attached to the Diseases of Animals Acts, 1966 to 2001, and the Regulation of Sheep Shearing Order, 2001.
To date 408 persons have been entered on my Department's register of commercial sheep shearers. The Restriction on Movement of Persons Order No. 160 of 2001 restricts persons who have been on an agriculture related place or premises in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands from entering farms in the State for a period of 21 days after arrival. This restriction has been lifted in respect of the North.
