Ombudsman Act, 1980

Definitions.

1.—(1) In this Act, save where the context otherwise requires—

“action” includes decision, failure to act and omission and cognate words shall be construed accordingly;

“civil servant” has the meaning assigned to it by the Civil Service Regulation Act, 1956;

“functions” includes powers and duties and a reference to the performance of a function includes, with respect to powers, a reference to the exercise of a power;

“local authority” means a local authority for the purposes of the Local Government Act, 1941 ;

“the Minister” means the Minister for the Public Service.

(2) Save where the context otherwise requires, references in this Act to any Department of State include references to the Minister of the Government having charge of that Department of State and to officers of that Minister of the Government and, if and so long as any of the functions of that Minister of the Government stand delegated to a Minister of State at a Department of State, include references to that Minister of State at a Department of State.

(3) Save where the context otherwise requires, references in this Act to a person (other than a Department of State) specified in the Schedules to this Act include—

(a) as respects the business and functions of the person, references to the Department of State in which any of them are comprised and to the Minister of the Government having charge of that Department of State, and

(b) as respects functions in relation to the person performed by a Department of State, references to that Department of State and to the Minister of the Government having charge of it,

and to officers of those Ministers of the Government and members, officers and staff of the person and, if and so long as any of the functions of any of those Ministers of the Government stand delegated to a Minister of State at a Department of State, to that Minister of State at a Department of State.