Holidays (Employees) Act, 1973

Inspectors.

11.—(1) In this section “inspector” means a person appointed by the Minister to be an inspector for the purposes of this Act.

(2) An inspector may—

(a) enter at all reasonable times any premises or place where he has reasonable grounds for supposing that any employee is employed,

(b) make therein any examination or enquiry necessary for ascertaining whether this Act is complied with,

(c) require an employer or his representative to produce any records which the employer is required by this Act to keep and inspect and take copies of entries in the records,

(d) examine with regard to any matters under this Act any person whom he has reasonable cause to believe to be or to have been an employer or employee and require him to answer such questions (other than questions tending to incriminate him) as the inspector may put relative to those matters and to sign a declaration of the truth of the answers.

(3) The powers conferred on an inspector by subsection (2) (a) shall not be exercisable in respect of a private dwelling house unless the Minister (or an officer of the Minister appointed by the Minister for the purpose) certifies that he has reasonable grounds for believing that an offence under this section in relation to an employee employed in the house has been committed by the employer, and the inspector in applying for admission to the house produces the certificate.

(4) If any person—

(a) obstructs or impedes an inspector in the exercise of any power conferred by this section,

(b) refuses to produce any record which an inspector lawfully requires him to produce,

(c) produces, or causes to be produced or knowingly allows to be produced, to an inspector any record which is false in any material respect knowing it to be false,

(d) prevents, or attempts to prevent, any person from appearing before or being questioned by an inspector, or

(e) wilfully fails or refuses to comply with any lawful requirement of an inspector under subsection (2) (d),

such person shall be guilty of an offence.

(5) An inspector shall be furnished with a certificate of his appointment and, on applying for admission to any premises or place, shall, if so required, produce the certificate to the occupier and to any person being examined by him.