Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order (Northern Ireland) 1997

Specific and general licences

1.—(1) A licence may be—

(a) a specific licence, that is, a licence issued by the Department to a person named in the licence on an application made by him, which covers such activities as are described in the licence; or

(b) a general licence, that is, a licence issued by the Department which does not name individual persons and which covers such persons resident in Northern Ireland (or, in the case of a body corporate, incorporated in Northern Ireland) and such activities as are described in the licence.

(2) After 1st December 1997 a person shall not transport cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and horses unless a specific licence has been issued to him, except where—

(a) the journey time is less than 8 hours and involves only transport by vehicle (or transport by vessel where the animals remain within the vehicle during the voyage);

(b) all the animals transported are registered equidae within the meaning of Council Directive 90/426;

(c) the number of animals transported is not more than either—

(i) in the case of horses other than registered equidae within the meaning of Council Directive 90/426, 5 individual animals; or

(ii) in the case of cattle, 5 individual animals; or

(iii) in the case of sheep and goats, 10 individual animals; or

(iv) in the case of pigs, 10 individual animals,

provided that the transporter is involved in no more than 5 consignments of animals in accordance with paragraph (2)(c) during any calendar year and that the vehicle used to transport the animals complies with the requirements of Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 and has been inspected by an authorised officer of the Department not more than 6 months before its being used for any such journey.

(3) A specific licence may be amended or revoked by the Department by notice in writing served on the transporter to whom the licence was granted.

(4) A general licence may be amended or revoked by publication in such manner as the Department shall see fit.

(5) In the case of a general licence, the Department may, by notice in writing served on the transporter, either exclude that transporter from the operation of a general licence, or impose additional conditions on that transporter which differ from the conditions in the general licence.

(6) A specific licence shall not be issued to more than one person.

(7) The fact that a person is covered by a general licence in respect of certain activities shall not prevent a specific licence being issued to him in respect of those activities.

(8) If a person has been issued with a specific licence, then he ceases to be covered by any aspect of the general licence in relation to the animals covered by the specific licence, and he shall not be permitted to carry out any transport of those animals except under the authority of a specific licence; and if a specific licence is revoked, or limited in any way, then the person who held the licence shall not be entitled to transport the animals covered by that specific licence under the authority of the general licence.

(9) Notice shall be given of the issue of any general licence in such form as the Department shall see fit.