S.I. No. 138/1957:

MILK AND DAIRIES REGULATIONS, 1957.

MILK AND DAIRIES REGULATIONS, 1957.

I, SEÁN MOYLAN, Minister for Agriculture, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 31 of the Milk and Dairies Act, 1935 (No. 22 of 1935), the Health (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order, 1947 ( S. R. & O. No. 58 of 1947 ), and the Agriculture and Health (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order, 1947 ( S. R. & O. No. 417 of 1947 ), and with the concurrence of the Minister for Health, hereby make the following regulations :

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Milk and Dairies Regulations, 1957.

2. (1) In these Regulations " the Regulations of 1936 " means the Milk and Dairies Regulations, 1936 ( S. R. & O. No. 310 of 1936 ), as amended by subsequent regulations.

(2) The Regulations of 1936 and these Regulations shall be construed together as one.

3. Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of Article 10 of the Regulations of 1936, a person may keep cows for the supply of milk--

(a) in a completely-covered loose cowshed in respect of which the requirements specified in Article 4 of these Regulations are complied with, or

(b) in a partly-covered loose yard in respect of which the requirements specified in Article 5 of these Regulations are complied with,

and may sell milk from cows kept in such cowshed or yard.

4. The following are the requirements which shall be complied with in respect of a completely-covered loose cowshed and the keeping of cows therein :

(a) the floor area shall be such as to provide not less than eighty square feet for each cow kept therein ;

(b) the roof shall be made of suitable material ;

(c) the walls shall be made of suitable material and shall be smooth-faced to a height of seven feet to facilitate cleaning and disinfecting ;

(d) either--

(i) there shall be provided an open space of at least three feet between the tops of the walls and the roof so as to provide sufficient fresh air at all times and sufficient light during the hours of daylight, or

(ii) at least the same amount of fresh air and light as would be provided if subparagraph (i) of this paragraph were complied with shall be provided by other suitable means ;

(e) the roof shall be provided with gutters and downpipes for rainwater which shall be conveyed to a suitable drain outside the premises ;

(f) the floor shall have a good, firm surface or be finished with an impervious material ;

(g) it shall be cleaned or disinfected or cleaned and disinfected at least once during each season in which cows are kept therein, or more frequently if the sanitary authority or, in the case of cows whose milk is intended for sale under a special designation, the authority who granted the special designation licence for such sale so directs ;

(h) it shall be freshly bedded each day with at least one stone of clean straw for each cow during the period in which cows are kept therein ;

(i) the approaches thereto shall be kept clean and free from accumulations of dung and other offensive matter ;

(j) suitable feeding and watering arrangements and an adequate supply of suitable drinking water shall be provided ;

(k) every vessel used for the conveyance or storage of water shall be emptied and cleaned as often as may be necessary to prevent pollution of the water and to maintain the vessel in a condition suitable for the purpose for which it is required ;

(l) no other animals or poultry shall be kept therein during the period when it is being used for the keeping of cows ;

(m) the shed shall not be used for any other purpose during the period when it is being used for the keeping of cows.

5. The following are the requirements which shall be complied with in respect of every partly-covered loose yard and the keeping of cows therein :

(a) the covered portion shall be open on one side and shall be so constructed as to prevent draughts ;

(b) the floor of the covered portion shall have a good, firm surface or be finished with an impervious material ;

(c) the walls shall be made of suitable material and shall be smooth-faced to a height of seven feet to facilitate cleaning and disinfecting ;

(d) the roof shall be made of suitable material and shall be either--

(i) of a lean-to type raised at the rear to a height of not less than ten feet and sloping towards the front to a height of not less than eight and one-half feet, or

(ii) ridged or curved with a minimum height of ten feet at the eaves ;

(e) the covered portion shall be of such minimum width as will provide sufficient dry space upon which the cows can lie in wet weather ;

(f) the combined areas of the covered portion and the open portion shall be such as to provide at least one hundred square feet for each cow kept therein ;

(g) the roof shall be provided with gutters and downpipes for rain-water which shall be conveyed by open channels on the floor of the open portion to a suitable drain outside the premises ;

(h) sufficient straw shall be provided to enable the cows to have a clean bed, and at least one stone of clean straw for each cow shall be added each day during the period in which cows are kept therein ;

(i) the floor of the open portion shall be of impervious material so laid and with sufficient slope from the covered portion as to ensure that no liquid will lodge on the floor and shall be provided with surface channels connected with downpipes from the gutters on the roof so as to ensure that no water collected from the roof will lodge in the yard ;

(j) all surface water and liquid therefrom shall be channelled into a suitable drain situated outside the yard ;

(k) the approaches thereto shall be kept clean and free from accumulations of dung and other offensive matter ;

(l) suitable feeding and watering arrangements and an adequate supply of suitable drinking water shall be provided ;

(m) every vessel used for the conveyance or storage of water shall be emptied and cleaned as often as may be necessary to prevent pollution of the water and to maintain the vessel in a condition suitable for the purpose for which it is required ;

(n) the covered portion shall be cleaned or disinfected or cleaned and disinfected at least once during each season in which cows are kept therein, or more frequently if the sanitary authority or, in the case of cows whose milk is intended for sale under a special designation, the authority who granted the special designation licence for such sale so directs ;

(o) the open portion shall be kept clean and free from loose straw or other bedding material, accumulations of manure and other offensive matter ;

(p) no poultry, swine or dogs shall be admitted thereto or allowed to remain therein during the period when it is being used for the keeping of cows ;

(q) it shall not be used for any other purpose during the period when it is being used for the keeping of cows.

6. Cows kept in a completely-covered loose cowshed or a partly-covered loose yard shall be milked only in a milking parlour in respect of which the requirements specified in Article 7 of these Regulations are complied with.

7. The following requirements shall be complied with in respect of a milking parlour :

(a) the floor shall be of impervious material to prevent as far as possible the soiling of cows milked therein ;

(b) the floor shall be so sloped and provided with surface channels as to ensure that any liquid that falls on the floor shall be carried away to a suitable drain situated outside the building and thence to a suitable place for disposal ;

(c) the walls shall be made of durable impervious material, capable of being easily cleansed and shall be smooth-surfaced to a height of not less than four feet six inches ;

(d) there shall be suitable and sufficient openings to provide adequate ventilation and light during the hours of daylight ;

(e) good artificial lighting shall be provided while cows are being milked during the hours of darkness and shall be so placed that any dirt or soiling on the cows can readily be detected by milkers with ordinarily good sight ;

(f) the interior thereof shall be kept in such a state of cleanliness as will prevent the contamination of milk therein ;

(g) all dung and other offensive matter shall be removed therefrom after each milking ;

(h) the approaches thereto shall be kept free from any accumulation of dung or other offensive matter ;

(i) a sufficient supply of suitable water shall be provided for the washing of cows and milkers' hands ;

(j) no poultry, swine, cats or dogs shall be admitted thereto or allowed to remain therein.

8. No person shall milk cows in a milking parlour unless the following requirements are complied with :

(a) no hay, dry bedding or other dusty material shall be moved before milking or during milking, in such a manner as to cause risk of contamination to the milk ;

(b) milking shall be carried out only under adequate lighting conditions, whether natural or artificial ;

(c) suitable arrangements shall be made for the assembly of cows before milking and for their dispersal after milking ;

(d) cows shall not be allowed to remain therein except during milking.

9. Articles 11, 12, 13, 14, 18 and 32 of the Regulations of 1936 shall not apply to a completely-covered loose cowshed, a partly-covered loose yard or a milking parlour.

10. The Milk and Dairies Regulations, 1949 ( S.I. No. 274 of 1949 ), are hereby revoked.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 1st day of July, 1957.

SEÁN MOYLAN,

Minister for Agriculture.

The Minister for Health hereby concurs in the making of the foregoing regulations.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Health, this 1st day of July, 1957.

SEÁN MAC ENTEE,

Minister for Health.

Explanatory Note.

The effect of these Regulations is to permit dairymen to keep cows in a covered loose cowshed or partly-covered loose yard of the type prescribed in the Regulations, as an alternative to the system prescribed in the Milk and Dairies Regulations, 1936. Cows so kept must be milked in a separate compartment (milking parlour) of the type set out in the Regulations.