Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 December 2020
793. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the breeds of niche animals such as goats and horses that are required to be registered in herd books in the UK even though the animals are based in Ireland; if his Department is providing contingency support to the owners of such animals in advance of Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39789/20]
View answerWithin Member States purebred animal breeding of the domestic species (bovines, porcines, ovines, caprines and equines) are governed by EU legislation, namely, Regulation (EU) 2016/1012 and it aims to ensure a harmonised approach to trade and for entry into the European Union. With the exiting of the UK from the European Union, this will primarily have an impact on Irish breeders that are members of UK breed societies and/or import purebred breed animals from the UK, as UK breed societies will be outside the scope of the EU Animal Breeding Regulations.
According to DEFRA, there are two breeds of goat and twenty two breeds of equine where UK breed societies have extended their breeding programmes into Ireland and are offering registration services to Irish breeders.
From 1st January 2021, the procedure of registering purebred animals with UK Societies that are kept in Ireland will no longer be in line with EU legislation. Any living animals that are currently registered in a UK breeding book, but kept in Ireland must be entered, by 1st January 2021, into an equivalent breeding book either in Ireland or within another EU member state if the equivalent EU breeding book has extended into Ireland.
My Department is aware that DEFRA have corresponded to their UK breed societies informing them of this position and have advised them to contact their breeder members in EU member states and update them accordingly of the position from the 1 January 2021.
My Department has been proactive in terms of its engagement with breed societies and pedigree breeders and is currently assisting Irish breeders explore their options so they can continue to enter their purebred breeding animals in breeding books when the UK leaves the Union. These options include establishing a breed society in Ireland, entering their animals in another EU recognised breed society for the same breed in Ireland or another member state or continue breeding outside the legislative framework.
My Department will this week be placing adverts in the main farming publications to create an awareness of the impact of Brexit on Irish breeders of purebred breeding animals and their germinal products and to provide an avenue for such breeders to seek further information on the subject as required.
