To ask the Minister for Local Government in the case of an official engaged in the preparation of the new Register wilfully neglecting to carry out his duties, whether there are any penalties for such failure and if so what are the penalties, and what control the Minister has over these officials?
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. - PREPARATION OF THE NEW REGISTER.
There are two severe penalties attached to the failure to perform registration duties. The first is under the Representation of the People (Ireland) Act, 1850, whereby every Clerk of the Peace, Town Clerk, Clerk of the Union, or other person required by the Act to do any matter or thing shall for every wilful misfeasance or wilful act of commission or omission contrary to the Act forfeit to any party aggrieved the penal sum of one hundred pounds or such less sum as the jury shall consider just. The second penalty is in the Representation of the People Act, 1918, Section 13 (1). If any registration officer refuses, neglects or fails without reasonable cause to perform any of his duties he is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds.
It is the duty of registration officers to comply with any general or special directions which may be given by the Minister for Local Government with respect to the arrangement to be made for carrying out registration duties.