AGRICULTURE ACT, 1931

FIRST SCHEDULE. Enactments, the Powers and Duties under which are Transferred by this Act.

Enactments, the Powers and Duties under which are Transferred by this Act.

1. The Diseases of Animals (Ireland) Acts, 1894 to 1914.

2. The Destructive Insects and Pests Acts, 1877 to 1929.

3. Section 9 of the Markets and Fairs (Weighing of Cattle) Act, 1887, and section 2 and sub-section (1) of section 4 of the Markets and Fairs (Weighing of Cattle) Act, 1891.

4. The Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act, 1906.

5. The Charitable Loan Societies (Ireland) Acts, 1843 to 1906.

6. Section 2 of the Dogs Act, 1906.

7. The Bee Pest Prevention (Ireland) Act, 1908.

8. The Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, 1875 to 1907.

9. The Merchandise Marks (Ireland) Act, 1909.

10. The Weeds and Agricultural Seeds (Ireland) Act, 1909.

11. Sections 18 and 47 of the Irish Land Act, 1909

12. The Horse Breeding Act, 1918.

13. Schedule B to the Income Tax Act, 1918.

14. The Animal (Anaesthetics) Act, 1919.

15. The Industrial Courts Act, 1919.

16. The Seeds Act, 1920.

17. The Creamery Act, 1928 (No. 26 of 1928).

Short title and commencement.

Short title and commencement.

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1.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Agriculture Act, 1931.

(2) This Act shall come into operation on the 1st day of April, 1931.

SECOND SCHEDULE. Appointment and Membership of Committees of Agriculture.

Appointment and Membership of Committees of Agriculture.

1. In this Schedule—

the expressions “the council” and “the county” in their relation to a committee of agriculture mean respectively the county council by whom and the county for which such committee is appointed;

the expression “election year” means in relation to the appointment of members of the committee of agriculture for the county of Dublin (other than members appointed to fill casual vacancies), the year 1931, or the year 1933, or any ensuing third successive year after the year 1933 and, in relation to the appointment of members of any other committee of agriculture (other than members appointed to fill casual vacancies), the year 1931 or any ensuing third successive year.

2. Every committee of agriculture shall be composed at the discretion of the council either wholly of persons who are members of the council or partly of persons who are and partly of persons who are not members of the council.

3. The following provisions shall have effect in relation to the constitution of every committee of agriculture for a county, that is to say:—

(a) the number of members of such committee to be appointed in an election year at the annual meeting of the council held in that year shall not be less than three times nor more than four times the number of county electoral areas in the county at the date of such annual meeting;

(b) subject to the provisions of the foregoing sub-paragraph, the number of members of such committee to be appointed in an election year at the annual meeting of the council held in that year shall be such number as the council think fit, and such committee shall, notwithstanding any change in the number of electoral areas in such county in the meantime, until the annual meeting of the council held in the next following election year, consist of such last mentioned number of members.

4. The members of a committee of agriculture shall include in respect of each county electoral area in the county at least one person who is resident in such county electoral area.

5. No person shall be appointed to be a member of a committee of agriculture unless he either has a practical, commercial or technical knowledge of land or has an estate or interest in some agricultural land in the county or has special local knowledge of agricultural matters.

6. The members of the committee of agriculture (other than a member appointed to fill a casual vacancy) shall be appointed in every election year at the annual meeting of the council held in that year and the appointment of such members of such committee shall be part of the first business to be transacted at every such annual meeting.

7. The term of office of every member of a committee of agriculture (other than a member elected to fill a casual vacancy) shall commence at the termination of the annual meeting of the council at which he was appointed, and every such member shall, unless he sooner dies, resigns, or becomes disqualified, hold office until the next annual meeting of the council at which the council is required by this Act to appoint (other than to fill a casual vacancy) members of such committee.

8. A person who ceases by effluxion of time to be a member of a committee of agriculture shall be eligible for re-appointment.

9. (1) Whenever a vacancy (in this Schedule referred to as a casual vacancy), occurs in the membershihp of a committee of agriculture by reason of the death, resignation, or disqualification of a member thereof, the council shall as soon as conveniently may be, appoint a person to fill such vacancy.

(2) A person appointed to fill a casual vacancy in the membership of a committee of agriculture shall unless he sooner dies, resigns or becomes disqualified hold office as a member of such committee for the residue of the term for which the member whose death, resignation or disqualification occasioned the vacancy would have held office as such member if he had not died, resigned or become disqualified.

10. Where a member of a committee of agriculture who is also a member of the council ceases to be a member of the council he shall forthwith cease to be a member of such committee but shall, if not otherwise disqualified, be eligible for re-appointment subject to the provisions of Rule 2.

11. If a member of a committee of agriculture is absent from all meetings of such committee for a period of six consecutive months he shall, unless such absence was due to illness or was approved of by the Committee, be disqualified at the expiration of such period from continuing to be a member of such committee and shall also for one year from such expiration be disqualified for being a member of such committee.

Definitions.

Definitions.

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2.—In this Act—

the expression “the Minister” means the Minister for Agriculture;

the expression “the Department” means the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland;

the expression “the Act of 1899” means the Agriculture and Technical Instruction (Ireland) Act, 1899;

the expression “the Act of 1925” means the Local Government Act, 1925 (No. 5 of 1925);

the expression “the Act of 1927” means the Local Government Act, 1927 (No. 3 of 1927);

the expression “the purposes of agriculture and other rural industries” includes assistance, improvement, and development of and instruction in all or any of the following industries, that is to say, agriculture, horticulture, forestry, dairying, the breeding of horses, cattle and other live stock and poultry, bee-keeping, the cultivation and preparation of flax, and any industry immediately connected with and subservient to any of the said industries, and the said expression also includes aiding or facilitating the carriage and distribution of agricultural requisites and produce;

the word “county” means an administrative county but does not include a county borough;

the expression “rateable value” means the annual rateable value under the Valuation Acts;

the expression “local financial year” means a period of twelve months ending on any 31st day of March.

THIRD SCHEDULE. Rules for Payments of Travelling Expenses.

Rules for Payments of Travelling Expenses.

1. In these rules—

the word “committee” means a committee of agriculture;

the word “contribution” means a contribution payable under this Act to a member of a committee towards the expenses incurred by him in attending the meetings of such committee.

2. Every member of a committee shall, at the commencement of his term of office as such member, communicate in writing to the chief executive officer of such committee the address at which he ordinarily resides, which address is referred to in these rules as the official residence of such member.

3. The contribution to be paid to a member of a committee in respect of his attendance at any meeting shall be calculated on the length of the journey from the official residence of such member to the place of meeting of the committee and the mode of transport used for such journey.

4. Where the journey from the official residence of a member to the place of meeting of the committee could be made by more than one route or by different modes of transport, the journey shall, for the purposes of these rules, be deemed to have been made by the route and the mode of transport in respect of which the payment under these rules would be the least.

5. There shall be paid to every member to whom a contribution is payable under this Act, a sum calculated in the manner prescribed in the next rule in respect of each meeting of the committee attended by him subject to the limitation that no contribution shall be paid to any such member in respect of a meeting held at a place situate less than five miles by any route from his official residence.

6. The sum payable under the preceding rule in respect of each meeting shall be calculated as follows, that is to say, four pence for each mile of the journey from the member's official residence to the place of meeting travelled by railway, and five pence for each mile of such journey travelled otherwise than by railway.

FOURTH SCHEDULE. Enactments Repealed.

Enactments Repealed.

Session and Chapter.

Session and Chapter.

Short title.

Short title.

Extent of Repeal.

Extent of Repeal.

57 & 58 Vic. c. 57.

57 & 58 Vic. c. 57.

Diseases of Animals Act, 1894.

Diseases of Animals Act, 1894.

Section 50.

Section 50.

62 & 63 Vic. c. 50.

62 & 63 Vic. c. 50.

Agriculture and Technical Instruction (Ireland) Act, 1899.

Agriculture and Technical Instruction (Ireland) Act, 1899.

The whole Act save in so far as it relates to technical instruction.

The whole Act save in so far as it relates to technical instruction.

2 Edw. VII. c. 3.

2 Edw. VII. c. 3.

Agriculture and Technical Instruction (Ireland) Act, 1902.

Agriculture and Technical Instruction (Ireland) Act, 1902.

The whole Act save in so far as it relates to technical instruction.

The whole Act save in so far as it relates to technical instruction.

2 Edw. VII. c. 33.

2 Edw. VII. c. 33.

Agriculture and Technical Instruction (Ireland) (No. 2.) Act, 1902.

Agriculture and Technical Instruction (Ireland) (No. 2.) Act, 1902.

The whole Act.

The whole Act.