6.— (1) The Board, having regard to the functions of the Club and after consultation with the Club, and with the consent of the Minister, shall—

(a) establish a code of practice, or

(b) adopt a code of practice published by another person (whether within the State or otherwise),

for the purpose of providing practical guidance relating to the welfare of greyhounds and related matters.

(2) The Board shall publish a code of practice on the internet in such form or manner as it thinks appropriate, specifying the date from which the code shall have effect.

(3) A code of practice may include different provisions in respect of different classes of greyhound.

(4) A person who keeps, trades, transports, rears, trains, races or courses a greyhound shall have due regard to a code of practice in so far as the code relates to a greyhound or class of greyhound kept, traded, transported, reared, trained, raced or coursed by the person.

(5) Before establishing or adopting or amending a code of practice the Board—

(a) shall publish on the internet a draft of the proposed code or amendment and shall give persons one month from the date of publication to make written representations to the Board in relation to the draft code or draft amendment, and

(b) may, having considered any representations received under paragraph (a), establish or adopt the draft code or draft amendment, with or without modification.

(6) The Board shall make available for public inspection, without charge, on the Board’s website on the internet and, during normal working hours at the principal office of the Board—

(a) a copy of a code of practice established or adopted by it, and

(b) where a code of practice has been amended by it, a copy of that code as amended,

and which is for the time being in force.

(7) A code of practice established or adopted by the Board which is in force immediately before the commencement of this section is deemed to be a code of practice under this section and may be amended or revoked in accordance with this section.

(8) In this section “code of practice” means a code of practice established or adopted under subsection (1) and any amendment to it.