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Powers of inspection and examination.
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28.—(1) Every inspector and every officer of the Board authorised in that behalf in writing by the Minister and every member of the Gárda Síochána is hereby authorised and empowered to do all or any of the following things, that is to say:—
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(a) at all reasonable times to enter upon and have free access to the interior of any registered premises or of any unregistered premises in which coal or turf is or is believed to be sold, or kept, exposed or stored for sale, or the premises of any person engaged in the business of carrying goods for reward, or any boat, railway waggon, motor lorry, cart, or other vehicle used for the conveyance of goods;
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(b) to examine all coal and all turf found in any premises, boat, or vehicle to the interior of which he has access by virtue of this section, and for that purpose to open any bag, sack, or other package found in such place and containing or believed to contain coal or turf;
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(c) at any time or place to ask of any person who has or at any time had the custody or possession of any coal or turf found in the exercise of any of the powers conferred by this section such questions in relation to such coal or turf as such inspector, officer, or member shall think proper, and to demand and take the name and address of such person and also to demand and take from such person the name and address of the owner or consignee of such coal or turf;
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(d) at any time or place to demand of any person who has or at any time had the custody or possession of any coal or turf found in the course of the exercise of any of the powers conferred by this section, the production of all records, invoices, consignment notes, receipts and other documents (including copies thereof where the originals are not available) relating to such coal or turf, and to take copies of and make extracts from any such documents (including copies thereof as aforesaid).
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(2) In the exercise in or upon the premises of any shipping or railway company of the powers conferred on him by this section, every inspector and every officer of the Board and member of the Gárda Síochána shall conform to such reasonable requirements of such company as are necessary to prevent the working of the traffic on such premises being obstructed or interfered with.
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(3) Every person who shall do any of the following things, that is to say:—
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(a) obstruct or impede any inspector or any officer of the Board or member of the Gárda Síochána in the exercise of any of the powers conferred on such inspector, officer or member by this section, or
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(b) fail or refuse to answer to the best of his knowledge and ability any question asked of him by such inspector, officer or member in exercise of a power in that behalf conferred by this section, or
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(c) give an answer to any such question which is to his knowledge false or misleading, or
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(d) when his own or any other name or address is demanded of him by any such inspector, officer or member in exercise of a power in that behalf conferred by this section, fail or refuse to give such address, or give a name or an address which is false or misleading, or
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(e) fail or refuse to produce any document the production of which is lawfully demanded of him by any such inspector, officer or member in exercise of any of the powers in that behalf conferred by this section, or fail or refuse to permit any such inspector, officer or member to take copies of or to make extracts from any such document,
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shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds.
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