Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Casualties) Act, 2000

Search warrant.

28.—(1) If a judge of the District Court is satisfied on the sworn information of an investigator that there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that there is information or an object required by an investigator for the purposes of an investigation under this Part held in any place or premises or means of trannsport (including a vessel), the judge may issue a warrant authorising an investigator, accompanied where appropriate by other investigators or by a member of the Garda Síochána, at any time or times within one month from the date of issue of the warrant, on production of the warrant if so required, to enter that place or those premises or means of transport, if need be by the application of reasonable force, and exercise therein or thereon all or any of the powers conferred on an investigator under this Act.

(2) An investigator, where he or she considers it necessary, may require a member of the Garda Síochána to assist the investigator when exercising a power of entry or otherwise conferred on an investigator by or under this Act which may involve the use of force, and a member of the Garda Síochána so required shall, unless he or she has a reasonable excuse for not doing so, comply with the requirement.