LOCAL AUTHORITIES (MUTUAL ASSURANCE) BILL, 1926—COMMITTEE AND FINAL STAGES.
The Dáil went into Committee.
SECTION 1.
In this Act the expression "local authority" means and includes the following bodies and persons, that is to say:—
(a) the council of a county, county borough, borough, urban district, or rural district, and
(b) a board of guardians, and
(c) a port sanitary authority, and
(d) the commissioners of a town, and
(e) any body, persons, or person established or appointed by or under any statute to perform the functions or any of the functions of any such council, board, authority, or commissioners as aforesaid.
I move:—
In line 21, after the word "aforesaid" to insert the word "and," and after line 21 to add two new paragraphs as follows:—
"(f) a committee or joint committee of or appointed by any one or more of such councils, boards, commissioners, bodies, or persons, and
(g) an association of any such councils, boards, commissioners, bodies, persons, or committees, formed and maintained solely for purposes relating to local government."
This is not a very important amendment. As the Bill stands asylum committees and various committees of local authorities could not be included in the present scheme. This will enable them to be included, and also such associations as the General Council of County Councils, if they wish to avail of the opportunities provided by the Bill. The amendment is purely formal.
Amendment put and agreed to.
Question—"That Section 1, as amended, stand part of the Bill"—put and agreed to.
Section 2 put and agreed to.
SECTION 3.
(1) A local authority may join in promoting a company to which it is intended that this Act shall apply and any local authority may become and be a member of a company to which this Act applies.
(2) When a local authority is a member of a company to which this Act applies, the right of voting and every other right or power incidental to such membership may be exercised on behalf of such local authority by one of their members or officers authorised in that behalf by them.
(3) A local authority which is a member of a company to which this Act applies may be a director of such company and in every such case the functions of the local authority as such director shall be performed by one of their members or officers authorised in that behalf by them.
(4) A local authority may pay subsistence allowance and travelling expenses in accordance with regulations to be made by the Minister for Local Government and Public Health to any of their members or officers attending on behalf of such local authority any meeting of the promoters, members or directors of a company to which this Act applies.
I move:—
In sub-section (2), page 2, line 46, after the word "officers" to insert the words "or any other person."
This is only to enable local authorities to act by means of agents in cases where they have not very large insurances. It would not pay a very small local authority to send a representative to meetings of the society in Dublin, and this will enable them to transact their business by means of agents. It is not very important.
Amendment put and agreed to.
I move:—
In sub-section (3), page 2, line 51, after the word "officers" to insert the words "or any other person."
This is the same as the previous amendment.
Amendment put and agreed to.
Question—"That Section 3, as amended, stand part of the Bill"—put and agreed to.
Sections 4, 5 and 6, and the Title put and agreed to.
The Dáil went out of Committee.
Bill reported with amendments.
I ask permission to take the remaining stages of the Bill to-day. I agreed to give Deputies considerable time to consider the Bill, although it is only a short Bill, for the Second Stage and the Committee Stage. I therefore move the suspension of the Standing Orders to enable the Fourth and Fifth Stages to be taken.
Question put and agreed to.
Question—"That the Bill be received for final consideration"—put and agreed to.
Question—"That the Bill do now pass"—put and agreed to.
