LOCAL AUTHORITIES (MUTUAL ASSURANCE) ACT, 1926

AN ACT TO AUTHORISE MUTUAL ASSURANCE BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND TO MAKE CERTAIN PROVISIONS THEREFOR. [17th July, 1926.]

BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS OF SAORSTÁT EIREANN AS FOLLOWS:—

1 Definition.

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, and

• (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.

2 Companies to which this Act applies.

2.—This Act applies to every company registered in Saorstát Eireann under the Companies (Consolidation) Act, 1908 which complies with the following conditions, that is to say:—

• (a) the objects of the company must be wholly or mainly one or both of the following, that is to say:—

• (i) the mutual insurance of its members against damage by or incidental to fire caused to the houses or other property owned or occupied by them, and

• (ii) the mutual insurance of its members against liability to pay compensation or damages to workmen employed by them, and

• (b) the liability of its members must be limited by guarantee and the amount to be guaranteed by any one member must not exceed ten pounds, and

• (c) the company must not have a share capital, and

• (d) all the members of the company must be local authorities.

3 Local authorities becoming members of company.

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 or any other person 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 or any other person 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.

4 Exemption from liability to make deposits.

4.—Such of the provisions of the Assurance Companies Act, 1909, as relate to deposits under that Act shall not apply with respect to fire insurance business or employers liability business carried on by a company which satisfies the Minister for Industry and Commerce that it has complied with all the conditions prescribed by section 2 of this Act.

5 Expenses of local authorities.

5.—Any expenses incurred by a local authority under this Act shall be defrayed and paid as part of the general expenses of such local authority in the performance of its duties.

6 Short title.

6.—This Act may be cited as the Local Authorities (Mutual Assurance) Act, 1926.