Defence Forces (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923

Accommodation and payment on billet.

170.—(1) The keeper of a victualling house upon whom any officer, soldier or horse is billeted, shall receive such officer, soldier or horse in his victualling house and furnish there the accommodation following:—that is to say, lodging and attendance and food for the officer or soldier, and stable room and forage for the horse, in accordance with the provisions of the Fifth Schedule to this Act.

(2) Where the keeper of a victualling house on whom any officer, soldier or horse is billeted, desires by reason of his want of accommodation or of his victualling house being full, or otherwise, to be relieved from the liability to receive such officer, soldier or horse in his victualling house, and provides for such officer, soldier, or horse, in the immediate neighbourhood such good and sufficient accommodation as he is required by this Act to provide, and as is approved by the constable issuing the billets, he shall be relieved from providing the same in his victualling house.

(3) (a) There shall be paid to the keeper of a victualling house for the accommodation furnished by him in pursuance of this Act the prices for the time being fixed by regulations made by the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Finance.

(b) Any regulations as to prices so made shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after they are made, and if within forty days after they have been so laid either House passes a resolution requesting the Executive Council to annul such regulations, the Executive Council may annul such regulations and the regulations so annulled shall thenceforth become void without prejudice to anything done thereunder in the meantime.

(4) An officer or soldier demanding billets in pursuance of this Act shall, before he departs, and if he remains longer than four days, at least once in every four days, pay the just demands of every keeper of a victualling house on whom he and any officers and soldiers under his command, and his or their horses (if any) have been billeted.

(5) If by reason of a sudden order to march or otherwise, an officer or soldier is not able to make such payment to any keeper of a victualling house as is above required, he shall, before he departs, make up with such keeper of such victualling house an account of the amount due to him, and sign the same, and forthwith transmit the account so signed to the Minister, who shall forthwith cause the amount named in such account as due to be paid.