Artificial Insemination Licences

Artificial Insemination (AI) licences must be held by those using these methods to breed cattle. Farmers or people acting on their behalf must complete a training programme and hold the correct licence.

Farmers who wish to practice artificial insemination in their bovine herd must be properly trained and licensed and ensure that only semen from approved sources is used in the process.

Only the herdowner, or their nominee, who has 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 Licence holders provide a year-round quality bovine artificial insemination service to farmers through a network of trained AI technicians. Each Field Service Licence holder must:

• ensure that good veterinary practices and procedures are adhered to
• use semen only from approved sources
• maintain satisfactory records
• facilitate the recording, testing, genetic evaluation and publication of results of bulls used for test purposes

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

For further information and for application forms contact: