Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1981

Administration

Inspectors.

[1942 IU, ss. 48, 49; 1952, Sch. 6]

264.—(1) The Minister may, with the sanction of the Minister for the Public Service, appoint such and so many persons as he thinks fit to be inspectors for the purposes of this Part.

(2) In this Part “inspector” means a person who is either—

(a) a person appointed to be an inspector under subsection (1), or

(b) a person who is an inspector appointed under section 114 .

(3) An inspector shall, for the purposes of this Part, have power to do all or any of the following things—

(a) to enter at all reasonable times any premises or place where he has reasonable grounds for supposing that any persons employed in an insurable employment are employed or any records in relation to any such persons are kept;

(b) to make such examination and inquiry as may be necessary for ascertaining whether the provisions of this Part are complied with in any such premises or place;

(c) to examine, either alone or in the presence of any other person, as he thinks fit, in relation to any matters under this Part every person whom he finds in any such premises or place, or whom he has reasonable cause to believe to be or to have been an employed person, and to require every such person to be so examined and to sign a declaration of the truth of the matters in respect of which he is so examined;

(d) to exercise such other powers as may be necessary for carrying this Part into effect.

(4) The occupier of any such premises or place and any other person employing any insured person, and the servants and agents of any such occupier or other person, and any employed person shall furnish to any inspector all such information and shall produce for inspection all such registers, books, cards, wages sheets, records of wages and other documents as the inspector may reasonably require.

(5) If any person wilfully delays or obstructs an inspector in the exercise of any power under this section or fails to give such information or to produce such documents as aforesaid, or conceals or prevents or attempts to conceal or prevent any person from appearing before or being examined by an inspector, he shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding £5.

(6) No one shall be required under this section to answer any question or give any evidence tending to incriminate himself.

(7) Every inspector shall be furnished with a certificate of his appointment, and on applying for admission to any premises or place for the purposes of this Part shall, if so required, produce the certificate to the occupier.