Merchant Shipping (Registration of Ships) Act 2014

PART 4

Enforcement

Authorised persons

39. (1) A surveyor, a member of the Garda Síochána, an officer of the Revenue Commissioners, a sea-fisheries protection officer, an authorised officer of Inland Fisheries Ireland, a harbour master, a person holding commissioned naval rank in the Permanent Defence Forces and an officer of the Irish Coast Guard is an authorised person for the purposes of this Act.

(2) The Minister may appoint in writing other persons or persons of such classes as he or she sees fit to be authorised persons for the purposes or specified purposes of this Act.

(3) The Minister may revoke an appointment made under subsection (2).

(4) An authorised person may be assisted in the exercise of his or her functions under this Act by such persons as he or she considers necessary.

(5) An authorised person appointed under subsection (2) shall be furnished with a warrant of appointment and when exercising any power conferred under this Act shall, if requested by a person affected, produce the warrant or a copy of it to that person for inspection.

(6) The Minister may revoke a warrant furnished to an authorised person or a class of persons under this Act.

(7) In this section—

“authorised officer of Inland Fisheries Ireland” means an authorised officer of Inland Fisheries Ireland for the purposes of section 301(1)(b) (as amended by section 8 of the Inland Fisheries Act 2010 ) of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959 ;

“harbour master” means a person—

(a) who is construed to be a harbour master in accordance with section 37 (1) of the Harbours Act 1996 , or

(b) appointed as a harbour master by—

(i) a local authority,

(ii) the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine under section 4 (2)(d) of the Fishery Harbour Centres Act 1968 , or

(iii) Iarnród Éireann — Irish Rail.