Defence Act, 1954

Billeting during a period of emergency.

37.—(1) (a) The Minister may, from time to time and at any time, make such regulations as he thinks fit—

(i) requiring the occupiers of premises to provide, during a period of emergency, lodging, attendance and food for members of the Defence Forces;

(ii) requiring the occupiers of premises and of livery stables to provide, during a period of emergency, stabling and forage for horses of the Defence Forces;

(iii) requiring the occupiers of premises and garages to provide, during a period of emergency, garaging for mechanically propelled vehicles of the Defence Forces;

(iv) conferring on such persons as the Minister thinks proper such powers and authorities for the carrying out and enforcement of the regulations as he thinks proper;

(v) fixing, with the sanction of the Minister for Finance, the scales of payment to be made in respect of any lodging, attendance, food, stabling, forage or garaging so provided;

(vi) providing for any matter or thing ancillary to the matters aforesaid.

(b) The references in paragraph (a) of this subsection to occupiers of premises shall, in the case of premises which are unoccupied, be construed as references to the owners of those premises.

(2) If any person contravenes (by act or omission) any regulation made under this section, such person shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds.

(3) There shall be paid to persons providing lodging, attendance, food, stabling, forage or garaging in pursuance of regulations made under this section payments in accordance with the scales fixed by such regulations.

(4) When by regulations made under this section any powers or duties are conferred or imposed on members of the Garda Síochána or where such regulations provide that any arrangements with regard to billeting shall be made in consultation with any member of the Garda Síochána, such regulations so relating to the Garda Síochána shall be made with the concurrence of the Minister for Justice.

(5) Every regulation under this section shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made and, if a resolution annulling such regulation is passed by either such House within the next subsequent twenty-one days on which such House has sat after such regulation is laid before it, such regulation shall be annulled accordingly but without prejudice to anything previously done under such regulation.