36. — (1) F40[…]

F41[(1A) (a) The Minister may make regulations providing for —

(i) the muzzling of greyhounds participating in events, and the manner of, and the type of muzzle to be used for, such muzzling,

(ii) prohibiting the participation of a greyhound in an event if it is not muzzled or if the muzzling of the greyhound does not comply with the regulations,

(iii) the supervision by a veterinary surgeon of hares coursed in events prior to, during and after the events,

(iv) the marking, before their release into the wild, of hares after an authorised coursing meeting of such kind as the Minister may specify in the regulations,

(v) prohibiting the coursing of a hare in an event if the hare has been coursed in an event at a prior authorised coursing meeting of such kind as the Minister may specify in the regulations,

(vi) prohibiting the coursing of a hare in an event if it is not fit to be coursed, and

(vii) the giving by a veterinary surgeon of a direction —

(I) prohibiting the participation of a greyhound in an event if he considers that the muzzling of the greyhound does not comply with the regulations,

(II) prohibiting the coursing of a hare in an event if he considers that the hare has been coursed in an event at a prior authorised coursing meeting of such kind as the Minister may specify in the regulations, or

(III) prohibiting the coursing of a hare in an event if he considers that the hare is not fit to be coursed.

(b) In this subsection —

“event” means an event forming an item at an authorised coursing meeting of such kind as the Minister may specify in the regulations and includes a pre-coursing trial of such kind as may be specified by the Minister in the regulations, and

“veterinary surgeon” means a registered veterinary surgeon within the meaning of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1931.]

F42[(2) If, in relation to an authorised coursing meeting, there is a contravention of a regulation under this section or a direction under such a regulation, the person holding the meeting and, if the direction relates to a greyhound, the owner of the greyhound shall be liable on summary conviction to a F43[class A fine] or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.]