Unemployment (Relief Works) Act, 1940

Formation of united districts.

7.—(1) In this section the expression “the Act” means the Public Health (Ireland) Act, 1878, and the expressions “sanitary authority”, “sanitary district” and “contributory place” have the same meanings respectively as they have in the Act.

(2) Whenever the Minister is of opinion that the formation of a united district is expedient for the purposes of the execution of a work of public utility, the Minister may by order form any two or more sanitary districts or contributory places into a united district for the purposes of the execution of the said work.

(3) Whenever the Minister has formed a united district under this section, every enactment relating to a united district formed under section 12 of the Act shall (subject to the next following sub-section of this section) apply and have effect in relation to the united district formed under this section as if that district had been formed under the said section 12, but subject to the modification that every reference in such enactment to the provisional order forming a united district shall be construed and have effect as a reference to the order under this section forming such united district.

(4) Whenever the Minister forms under this section a united district, the Minister if he so thinks proper may, by the order forming such united district,

(a) postpone for a specified period the formation under section 13 of the Act of a joint board as the governing body of such united district, and

(b) confer on and vest in the sanitary authority of any one of the sanitary districts wholly or partly included in such united district all the powers and duties of such joint board during such postponement.

(5) The Minister may at any time by order amend any order made by him under this section (including an order made under this sub-section) and in particular may by any such amendment extend or reduce the period of postponement mentioned in the next preceding sub-section of this section.

(6) No order, except an amending order under the immediately preceding sub-section, shall be made by the Minister under this section after the expiration of two years from the date on which the Emergency Powers Act, 1939 (No. 28 of 1939), ceases to be in force.