Animal Breeding

Satisfactory results in animal breeding depend to a large extent on the use of domestic animals of high genetic quality. Purebred animal breeding in Ireland is governed by rules and standards provided in EU Regulation. The current EU Animal Breeding Regulation is Regulation (EU) 2016/1012 and is applicable as of 1 November 2018. It outlines the rules and standards that must be followed to trade purebred breeding animals, hybrid breeding pigs or germinal products like semen, embryos or ova. It requires an organisation to be recognised as a breed society for purebred breeding animals or a breeding operation for hybrid breeding pigs and to have an approved breeding programme.

Further details on Zootechnics, links to EU Zootechnic legislation, EU/EEA counties and non-EU countries information can be found here

In order to comply with the requirements of the EU legislation, the following pages contain information on:

• Designated Competent Authority in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/1012**
• Information concerning the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2016/1012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (‘Animal Breeding Regulation’) in Ireland

The competent authority designated in accordance with Article 39(1) with the responsibility for performing official controls for the verification of compliance of operators with the rules provided for in this Regulation

Further Information on Breeders Organisations

Further details on Zootechnics, links to EU Zootechnic legislation, EU/EEA counties and non-EU countries information can be found here

As provided by Article 27 (2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1012, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, as the competent authority in Ireland, has authorised the following organisations to carry out performance testing or genetic evaluation for the following species;

Bovines:

Ovines

List of Approved Bodies, Institutes or Centres under European Council Directive 92/65/EEC in Ireland

List of Approved Establishments in Veterinary Fields and Approved Laboratories in accordance with Council Directive 2008/73/EC

1. Approved Establishments in the Veterinary Field

(a) Assembly Centres

(b) Dealers

(c) Semen Collection and Storage Centres

(d) Embryo Collection & Production Teams

(e) Quarantine Facilities or Centres

(f) Establishments for Poultry

(g) Germinal Product Establishments

2. Approved Laboratories

(a) National Reference Laboratories

(b) Other Laboratories

3. Relevant Application Forms

Private Veterinary Practitioner Health Certificates for Donors of Embryos

Animal Breeding Forms

1. Bovines

DIY A.I. Licences

Persons wishing to practice artificial insemination in their bovine herd must be appropriately trained and licensed and ensure that only semen from approved sources is used in the process. No person other than the herdowner, or his/her nominee, who has satisfactorily completed an approved programme of training in the practice of artificial insemination, can be approved by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to carry out the inseminations within that herd.

Field Service Licences

Field Service Licence holders provide a year-round quality bovine artificial insemination service (A.I.) to farmers through a network of trained licenced A.I. technicians. Each Field Service Licence must:

• Ensure that good veterinary practices and procedures are adhered to;
• Utilise semen only from approved sources;
• Maintain satisfactory records; and
• Facilitate the recording, testing, genetic evaluation and publication of results of bulls used for test purposes.

A.I. Technicians Licences

The provision of a quality bovine A.I. service is ensured through the licensing of A.I. technicians employed by, or contracted to, Field Service Licence holders.

Bovine Distribution Semen Licences

Organisations or individuals must be appropriately licensed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to engage in the distribution of bovine semen thereby protecting animal health and welfare and traceability of the product.

Approval of Bovine Semen Storage Centres

Premises where bovine semen is stored must meet specified EU standards and must be placed under the permanent supervision of a centre veterinarian approved by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Please note persons intending to apply for an approval for a bovine semen storage centre are advised to contact the Department at the outset so as to obtain full information on the approval process.

Approval of Bovine Semen Collection Centres

Premises where semen is collected must meet specified EU standards and must be placed under the permanent supervision of a centre veterinarian approved by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Please note persons intending to apply for an approval for a bovine semen collection centre are advised to contact the Department at the outset so as to obtain full information on the approval process.

Approval of Bovine Ova/Embryo Collection or Production Teams

Only teams approved by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for the purpose of producing and or collecting bovine ovas/embryos can operate such a service.

On-Farm Collection of Bovine Semen

Herdowners can preserve the bloodline of their bovine herd by having semen collected from their own herd for use within their own herd. Applicants or their employees for on-farm collection must have a D.I.Y. A.I. licence to store semen and they can only store a quantity of semen (collected on-farm or otherwise) to the maximum allowed by his/her D.I.Y. A.I. licence.

Where an applicant does not have a D.I.Y. A.I. licence the semen collected on-farm must be stored in an approved centre and released only for use in his/her herd to a licensed A.I. company inseminator. Prior approval must be obtained from the Department.

2. Equine

Approval of Equine Ova/Embryo Collection or Production Teams

Only teams approved by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for the purpose of producing and or collecting equine ovas/embryos can operate such a service.

Approval of Equine Semen Collection and Storage Centre

The construction and operation of an Equine Semen Collection and Storage Center is set down in EU and National legislation. Please note persons intending to apply for an approval for a equine semen collection and storage centre are advised to contact the Department at the outset so as to obtain full information on the approval process.

3. Canine Semen

The import and export of Canine Semen must be licensed. The importation of canine semen is governed by the Importation of animal semen (prohibition) order 1972

Information and application forms for import and exports of canine semen may be obtained by contacting canine@agriculture.gov.ie

Irish Cattle Breeding Federation

The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) was formally set up in 1998 and is a non-profit organisation charged with providing cattle breeding information services to the Irish dairy and beef industries. ICBF is not a State body, but it undertakes a number of activities which were previously the responsibility of the Department.

ICBF shareholders represent organisations involved in cattle breed improvement activities (A.I. Services, Herd Book Societies and Milk Recording Societies) and the main farm bodies (IFA and ICMSA).

The funding is used to assist with the costs associated with the following activities:

Providing genetic evaluations for beef and dairy cattle in Ireland

Operating and maintaining the ICBF database and animal events recording system,

Operating the bull performance / progeny test centre at Tully and

Establishing and supporting the breeding programmes for Irish dairy and beef breeds.

Infrastructure Programme

DAFM provides funding to ICBF under the Cattle/Sheep Breeding Infrastructure Programme The purpose of the scheme is to assist ICBF in the provision of cattle and sheep breeding services to Irish cattle and sheep farmers.

Further information on ICBF can be obtained from:

Sheep Ireland

Sheep Ireland, which was established in 2008, is an industry owned stand-alone company but is very closely connected to ICBF which provides management & technical services to it. Sheep Ireland is designated with the responsibility of increasing the rate of genetic gain in the Irish sheep sector by identifying and promoting the use of rams with more profitable and sustainable genetics. Funding is provided towards costs associated with sheep breeding activities, some of which, had been carried out by DAFM until 2008 and include:

Providing genetic evaluations

Operating and maintaining the Sheep Ireland database

Further information on Sheep Ireland can be obtained from:

The keeping of mink is subject to licensing by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine under the Musk Rats Act, 1933, and the Musk Rats Act, 1933 (Application to Mink) Order, 1965.

For further information contact:

The conservation of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture is essential to preserve ensure biological diversity, to preserve data and traits that ensure sustainable agriculture, to ensure the future adaptability of breeds, to promote the use of genetic resources in commerce and biotechnology, and to conserve genetic diversity for cultural reasons. Ireland has a number of animal breeds that are native to this country. Those breeds official recognised as a native rare breed are

• Caprine: Old Irish Goat
• Cattle: Kerry, Dexter, Irish Maol, Droimeann
• Equine: Connemara Pony, Irish Draught.
• Sheep: Galway

A range of measures are available to ensure their conservation and use on farms. The primary methods of supporting these breeds is through the GLAS scheme. There are also a number of other targeted schemes such as:

1. Kerry Cattle Premium Scheme

The objective of the Scheme is to encourage the maintenance of a number of separate herds of Kerry Cattle in Ireland and the creation and maintenance of a sufficient reserve of pure-bred breeding stock. An applicant is eligible to participate in the scheme if:

• the herd owner is a member of the Kerry Cattle Society Ltd in the year of application

• the herd is located within the territory of the State

• the herd contains at least two breeding females entered in the breeding book of the Kerry Cattle Society Ltd

• the sire of eligible calves is of the purebred Kerry breed;

• eligible progeny of Kerry cows in the herd are submitted for birth notification or entry in the Kerry Cattle breeding book and are registered through the Animal Events system

• each animal, on which premium is being applied for, was born in the applicant's herd and is alive on the date of application.

A premium of €120.00 per eligible calf is payable for 2023.

[document 117873 ]

2. Genetic Resources Grant Aid Scheme

This Scheme has been in place since 1996 and has an annual call for projects aimed at supporting the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources for food and agriculture. Projects are evaluated by an advisory committee, representing broad national stakeholder interests. Over the years, funding has been provided to a diverse range of projects, including practical hands-on conservation initiatives, raising awareness and education of the general public of the importance of genetic resources, and participation in internationally recognised research and collaboration with European and other international partners in the field of plant and animal genetic resources.

Further information on the Genetic Resources Grant Aid Scheme is available from the link Here

3. Rare Breed Preservation Grant

The objective of the Rare Breed Preservation Grant is to assist organisations conserve and protect Irish rare breed farm animals as an important resource of livestock heritage which needs to be conserved as a vital genetic resource for future generations and the benefit of agriculture.

This Scheme shall be administered through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Application forms and Terms and Conditions

For further information contact:

1. Equestrian competitions and events falling under the derogation from the principle of non-discrimination (Council Directive 90/428/EEC)

2. Criteria laid down for the distribution of funds for the safeguard, development and improvement of breeding (Council Directive 90/428/EEC)

3. Application Procedure for requesting a Derogation

For further information contact:

General Programme

What the General Equine Breeding Support Programme 2025 is

The General Programme of the Equine Technical Support and Equine Breeding Scheme 2025 provides financial support to help improve quality equine breeding. The scheme also supports infrastructure in the nonthoroughbred horse sector. Grant aid is available for steps to improve data collection in the genetics and equine breeding area and DNA sampling. The scheme also supports initiatives in the area of breeding, promotion, marketing and studbook development.

How to qualify

This scheme is only available to breed societies approved to maintain equine breeding programmes. All projects must demonstrate their compatibility to the Sport Horse strategy - - Reaching New Heights - to be considered eligible for grant aid.

Applications for funding must be made on the application form below accompanied by the requested supporting documentation. You must comply with the terms of the scheme.

Rates of payment

Aid is granted to cover eligible costs on the following basis:

On approval, projects are notified about the maximum grant payable to the organisation for the specific project in the year concerned.

Apply

Applications for 2025 are now closed.

Training and Education

What the Equine Breeding Training and Support Scheme 2025 is

The training and education programme of the Equine Technical Support and Equine Breeding Scheme 2025 provides financial support for projects in the non-thoroughbred sector.

Support is provided for seminars, conferences and training.

How to qualify

Projects providing knowledge transfer and information must be carried out by qualified people who have sufficient technical capacity to implement the proposed project. All projects must demonstrate their compatibility to the Sport Horse strategy - Reaching New Heights - to be considered eligible for

grant aid.

Applications for funding must be made on the application form below accompanied by the requested supporting documentation. You must comply with the terms of the scheme.

Rates of payment

Aid is granted to cover up to 100% of eligible costs for education and training. On approval, projects are notified about the maximum grant payable to the organisation for the specific project in the year concerned. Projects can later be amended subject to department approval but it must remain within the maximum limit granted.

Apply

Applications for 2025 are now closed.

Equine Diseases Research

These are the terms and conditions for funding under the Equine Technical Support and Equine Breeding Scheme 2025: Funding of Research into Equine Diseases.

Grant aid is aimed at supporting improvements in quality equine production focusing on research into equine diseases in the thoroughbred and nonthoroughbred horse sectors.

Apply

Applications for 2025 are now closed.

Forms and Information Notes

Zootechnical Forms

Germinal Network Forms

For further information please contact: