Children Act, 1997

PART I

PRELIMINARY AND GENERAL

Short title, commencement and collective citation.

1.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Children Act, 1997.

(2) This Act, except section 11 (insofar as it inserts sections 20,21, 22, 26, 28 and 29 into the Act of 1964) and Part III shall come into operation one month after the date of its passing.

(3) Section 11 (insofar as it inserts sections 20, 21, 22, 26, 28 and 29 into the Act of 1964) and Part III shall come into operation on such day or days as may be fixed by the Minister by order or orders, either generally or with reference to a particular purpose or provision, and different days may be so fixed for different purposes and different provisions.

(4) An order under subsection (3) relating to section 11 , insofar as that order relates to section 47(1)(b) of the Family Law Act, 1995 , shall not be made without the consent of the Minister for Health and Children.

(5) The Act of 1964 (as amended by the Succession Act, 1965 , the Courts Act, 1981 , the Age of Majority Act, 1985 , the Status of Children Act, 1987 , the Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989 , the Child Care Act, 1991 , and the Courts Act, 1991 ) and this Act (except Part III ) may be cited together as the Guardianship of Children Acts, 1964 to 1997, and shall be construed together as one Act.