1.These Explanatory Notes relate to the Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (‘the Act’) which received Royal Assent on 30 March 2022. They have been prepared by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (‘the Department’) in order to assist the reader in understanding the Act. They do not form part of the Act and have not been endorsed by the Assembly.
2.The notes need to be read in conjunction with the Act. They are not, and are not meant to be, a comprehensive description of the Act. So where a section or part of a section does not seem to require an explanation or comment, none is given.
Introduction