LIMERICK CITY MANAGEMENT ACT, 1934

Type Act
Publication 1934-09-06
Last updated 2014-01-27
State Repealed superseded text
Text As published
articles 43

This is the act as published. Later amendments are not folded into the text below: each one is a separate act in this repository and an entry in this law's history.

24 amending acts · 2014-01-27, Local Government Reform Act 2014

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AN ACT TO MAKE FURTHER AND BETTER PROVISION FOR THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF THE COUNTY BOROUGH OF LIMERICK AND THE ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS THEREOF, AND TO MAKE PROVISION FOR FUTURE EXTENSIONS OF THE SAID COUNTY BOROUGH AND FOR OTHER MATTERS CONNECTED WITH THE MATTERS AFORESAID. [6th September, 1934.]

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

1 Definitions.

1.—(1) In this Act—

the expression “the Minister” means the Minister for Local Government and Public Health;

the word “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Minister under this Act;

the expression “the City” means the county borough of Limerick;

the expression “the Corporation” means the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of Limerick;

the expression “the Council” means the Limerick City Council established by this Act;

the expression “the Manager” means the Limerick City Manager and Town Clerk appointed under this Act;

the expression “the Mayor” means the Mayor of Limerick;

the expression “the municipal fund” means the fund out of which the costs and expenses of the Corporation are to be defrayed under this Act;

the expression “the municipal rate” means the rate to be raised by the Corporation under this Act for the purpose of supplying any deficiency in the municipal fund;

the expression “the Board of Health” means the body which was established by the Limerick County Borough Scheme Order, 1923, under the name of “The Limerick County Borough Board of Health” to administer the relief of the poor in the City;

the expression “the gas committee” means the gas committee established under the Limerick Corporation Gas Act, 1878;

the expression “the gas undertaking” means the undertaking heretofore administered and carried on by the gas committee and, where the context so requires, includes that undertaking as carried on by the Corporation in pursuance of this Act;

the expression “city election” means an election of members of the Council held in pursuance of this Act;

the expression “the day of election” means the day fixed under this Act to be the day of election for the purposes of this Act;

the expression “the appointed day” means the day appointed under this Act to be the appointed day for the purposes of this Act.

and the expression “the abolished bodies” shall be construed accordingly.

2 Vesting of powers and property in the Corporation.

2.—(1) On the appointed day the functions, powers, and duties of the council of the county borough of Limerick shall be transferred by virtue of this section to the Corporation and become and be functions, powers, and duties of the Corporation.

3 Dissolution or abolition of the abolished bodies.

3.—(1) On the appointed day the Board of Health shall become and be dissolved by virtue of this section and the functions, powers, and duties of the Board of Health shall become and be transferred to the Corporation.

4 Transfer of city functions of the Limerick Guardians.

4.—On the appointed day the functions, powers, and duties of the Board of Guardians of the Limerick Union shall in so far as they are exercisable or to be performed within the City, cease to be exercisable or performed by the said Board of Guardians and shall become and be transferred to and be exercisable and performed by the Corporation.

5 Establishment of the Council.

5.—(1) There shall be a Limerick City Council to fulfil the functions assigned to it by this Act.

6 Aldermen and councillors.

6.—The first four members of the Council elected at a city election shall be aldermen, and all other members of the Council shall be councillors.

7 City elections.

7.—(1) A city election shall be held—

8 Casual vacancies in the Council.

8.—(1) Whenever a vacancy (in this Act referred to as a casual vacancy) shall occur in the membership of the Council by reason of the death, resignation, disqualification, or non-acceptance of office of a member thereof, such vacancy shall be filled by the Council after due notice at the next meeting of the Council after the expiration of one month from the occurrence of such vacancy or as soon after that meeting as circumstances will permit.

9 Meetings of the Council.

9.—(1) The first meeting of the Council shall be a quarterly meeting and shall be held at noon on the appointed day in the Town Hall, Limerick, and if for any reason such meeting is not so held such meeting shall be held at such time, on such day (as soon as conveniently may be after the appointed day), and at such place as shall be appointed for the purpose by the Minister.

10 Election and tenure of office of Mayor.

10.—(1) The Council shall, at their first meeting and at the quarterly meeting held next after every 22nd day of June, elect one of their members to be the Mayor.

11 Appointment by the Corporation of members of certain public bodies.

11.—(1) So much of any statute or of any order made under any statute as requires that a person elected or nominated to be a member of a public body by the council of a county borough or in particular by the council of the county borough of Limerick shall be a member of the council by whom he is elected or nominated shall not apply in respect of any person elected or nominated on or after the appointed day by the Council to be a member of a public body, and in lieu thereof it is hereby enacted that any person who is on or after the appointed day elected or nominated by the Council to be a member of a public body and who but for this section would be required to be a member of the Council or of the council of the county borough of Limerick shall be such person willing to act, whether a member or not a member of the Council, as the Council considers to be best fitted, by reason of his special knowledge or practical experience of the matters administered by such public body, for membership thereof.

12 Reserved functions.

12.—(1) The Council shall directly exercise and perform all and every of the powers, functions, and duties of the Corporation in relation to the following matters, that is to say:—

13 The Limerick City Manager.

13.—(1) On and after the appointed day a person appointed for the purpose by or under this Act, who shall be called and known as the Limerick City Manager and Town Clerk, shall exercise and perform for and on behalf of the Corporation the powers, functions, and duties of the Corporation in relation to the appointment and removal of officers and servants of the Corporation (other than the Manager), and shall also exercise and perform all other powers, functions, and duties of the Corporation other than the reserved functions.

14 Appointment of the Manager.

14.—(1) The appointment of a person to be the manager shall be made by the Council, and the office of the manager shall be an office to which the Local Authorities (Officers and Employees) Act, 1926 (No. 39 of 1926), applies.

15 Reception and examination of tenders.

15.—(1) The Council may, if and whenever it thinks fit, make regulations prescribing the procedure to be followed in regard to the reception and examination of all or any particular class or classes of tenders for the supply of goods, the execution of works, or any other thing for which the Corporation may lawfully have invited the submission of tenders.

16 Furnishing of information to the Mayor and the Council.

16.—(1) The manager shall, whenever requested by the Mayor or the Council so to do, afford to the Mayor or the Council (as the case may require) all such information as may be in the possession or procurement of the manager in regard to any act, matter or thing appertaining to or concerning any business or transaction of the Corporation which is mentioned in such request.

17 Manager to advise the Council.

17.—(1) It shall be the duty of the manager to advise and assist the Council generally in regard to the exercise or performance by them of the reserved functions and in particular in regard to any matter or thing in relation to the exercise or performance by the Council of the reserved functions on or in respect of which the Council requests the advice or assistance of the manager.

18 Preparation of plans, etc., by the manager for the Council.

18.—The Council may at any time by resolution require the manager to prepare and submit to the Council plans and specifications for the execution of any particular work specified in such resolution which can lawfuly be executed by the Corporation, together with an estimate of the probable cost of the execution of such work, and whenever the Council passes any such resolution the manager shall, as soon as conveniently may be, prepare and submit to the Council plans and specifications and an estimate in accordance with such resolution.

19 Attendance, etc., of manager at meetings of the Council.

19.—(1) The manager shall have the right to attend meetings of the Council and to take part in discussions at such meetings as if he were a member of the Council, but he shall not be entitled to vote on any question which is to be decided by a vote of the members of the Council.

20 Requisition by Council that a particular thing be done.

20.—(1) The Council, at a meeting specially summoned for the purpose under this section, may by resolution proposed and passed in accordance with this section require any particular act, matter, or thing specifically mentioned in such resolution and which the Corporation or the manager can lawfully do, to be done in relation to any of the powers, functions, and duties of the Corporation which are not for the time being reserved functions.

Any resolution purporting to be passed by the Council under this section which contravenes this sub-section shall be void and of no effect.

21 Control, etc., of officers and servants of the Corporation.

21.—(1) The officers and servants of the Corporation shall perform their duties as such officers and servants in accordance with such directions as the manager may from time to time give either generally or in regard to the performance of any particular duty or any particular class or classes of duties or in regard to the performance of any such duty by any particular officer or servant of the Corporation, and the manager shall have and exercise control and full supervision of and over such officers and servants and any and every act or thing done or to be done by them in their capacity as officers and servants of the Corporation.

22 Acting of the Manager by signed order.

22.—(1) Every act or thing done or decision taken by the manager which, if done or taken by the council of a county borough, would be required by law to be done or taken by resolution of such council, shall be done or taken by the manager by an order in writing signed by him and containing a statement of the time at which it was so signed.

23 Authorisation of payments.

23.—(1) The manager may by order signed by him and countersigned by the City Treasurer authorise the making of any payment out of the funds of the Corporation in respect of any expense or on account of any liability incurred by the Council or the manager on behalf of the Corporation in the exercise or the performance by the Council or the manager (as the case may be) of any of the powers, functions or duties of the Corporation which are exercisable or performable by them or him respectively under this Act.

24 The municipal fund.

24.—(1) On and after the appointed day all the expenses incurred, by the Corporation in the exercise and performance of their powers and duties (including the expenses of discharging liabilities existing on the appointed day) shall be defrayed out of a fund to be established by the Corporation and called “the municipal fund.”

25 The municipal rate.

25.—(1) Save as in this Act otherwise provided, all rates (in this Act referred to as rates abolished by this Act) which, immediately before the 1st day of April, 1935 are leviable in the city or the borough shall, on the said 1st day of April, 1935 cease to be leviable, but such cesser shall not prevent, prejudice, or affect the collection or recovery on or after that date of any portion of any such rate which immediately before that date remains due and unpaid.

26 Adjustment of rent in certain cases.

26.—(1) Where a tenement or hereditament situate in the City or the Borough is held (whether together with or without other premises) under a lease which binds the lessor to pay or allow a deduction or set off against or indemnify the lessee against or otherwise to relieve the lessee from any rates (other than poor rate) payable in respect of such tenement or hereditament, all rent payable under such lease in respect of a period commencing on or after the 1st day of April, 1935, shall be reduced—

27 Contract water rate.

27.—The provisions of this Act abolishing certain rates shall not extend or apply to charges (commonly called contract water rates) made for the supply of water to particular hereditaments or tenements for purposes other than domestic purposes or to the supply of water under special contract to any person not otherwise entitled to such supply, and such charges shall, in the construction of this Act, not be included in the expression “rates abolished by this Act,” but such charges shall be collected and recovered as part of the municipal rate.

28 Rating of certain classes of property.

28.—(1) For the purpose of the assessment and levying of the municipal rate on any hereditament or tenement mentioned or included in a class mentioned in the second column of the Second Schedule of this Act, the valuation of such tenement or hereditament shall be deemed to be reduced to the proportion, specified in the first column of the said Second Schedule in respect of such hereditament or tenement or such class (as the case may be) of the actual valuation under the Valuation Acts of such hereditament or tenement.

29 Rates on vacant premises.

29.—(1) Where a hereditament or tenement which is not a small dwelling within the meaning of the Local Government (Rates on Small Dwellings) Act, 1928 (No. 4 of 1928) as amended by this Act, is unoccupied at the making of the municipal rate, that rate shall be made upon the person (hereinafter referred to as the owner) who is for the time being entitled to occupy such hereditament or tenement, and upon such rate being paid by such owner such owner shall be entitled to claim and receive from the Corporation a refund of one-twenty-fourth of such rate in respect of every completed month (reckoned from any day of one month to the corresponding day of the next month) during which such hereditament or tenement is unoccupied either for the purpose of the execution of additions, alterations, or repairs thereto or because such owner is bona fide unable to obtain a suitable tenant therefor, in the case of a hereditament or tenement to which the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Acts, 1923 to 1930 for the time being apply, at the maximum rent for the time being permitted under those Acts or, in the case of any other hereditament or tenement, at a reasonable rent.

30 Amendment of the municipal rate.

30.—(1) The manager may from time to time amend any rate or assessment in the municipal rate book by inserting therein the name of any person who ought to have been rated or by striking out the name of any person who ought not to have been rated or by raising or reducing the sum at which a person has been rated or by making such other amendment therein as will make such rate or assessment conformable to the provisions of this Act in regard to the making of the municipal rate.

31 Payment of existing loans.

31.—Every loan owing by the Corporation which immediately before the appointed day is charged upon any of the rates abolished by this Act or upon any fund maintained out of the produce of any such rate shall, on and after the appointed day, become and be charged upon the municipal rate or the municipal fund respectively.

32 Superannuation of employees.

32.—(1) So long as this section is in force, the Corporation shall be a local body empowered by statute to grant to any of its employees, other than officers, an allowance in respect of the loss of his employment within the meaning of section 53 of the Local Government Act, 1925 (No. 5 of 1925), and the said section 53 shall apply to the city accordingly, but with and subject to the modification that the Corporation shall not grant an allowance under that section to any employee whose period of service with the Corporation (including any period which he is entitled under this Act to reckon as service) is less than twenty years.

33 Superannuation of employees of the gas undertaking.

33.—(1) For the purposes of section 53 of the Local Government Act, 1925 (No. 5 of 1925), as applied by this Act, any person (other than an officer) who was employed before the appointed day in relation to the gas undertaking by the gas committee shall be entitled to reckon his period of such employment as employment by the Corporation.

34 Decoration of the city.

34.—(1) The Council, by resolution passed under this section and for the passing of which not less than two-thirds of the members of the Council shall have voted, may authorise the expenditure by the Corporation of moneys on the decoration of the city for occasions of public rejoicing or for other appropriate occasions.

35 Estimate of expenses and rates meeting.

35.—(1) The manager shall cause to be prepared in each local financial year at the prescribed time and in the prescribed form an estimate (in this section referred to as the estimate of expenses) showing the amounts which in his opinion will be necessary to meet the expenses and provide for the requirements of the Corporation during the local financial year then next ensuing.

36 Deputy Manager.

36.—(1) If and whenever the manager is on vacation or is through illness, absence from the City, or suspension from performance of his duties, temporarily incapable of exercising the powers and functions and performing the duties conferred and imposed on him by this Act, a deputy manager may be appointed under this section for the duration of such vacation or incapacity, but may with the consent of the Minister be removed under this section at any time during such vacation or incapacity.

37 Constitution of Joint Mental Hospital Committee.

37.—Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (7) of section 9 of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, as amended by section 77 of the Local Government Act, 1925 (No. 5 of 1925), the representation of the Corporation and the Council of the County of Limerick respectively on the Joint Committee of Management of the Limerick District Mental Hospital shall, until after the holding of the second city election after the passing of this Act, continue to be the representation last-determined under the said sub-section (7) as so amended before the passing of this Act.

38 Future extension of the city.

38.—(1) At any time after the 1st day of April, 1935, the Corporation may apply to the Minister for a provisional order under this section so extending the boundary of the city as to include in the city any specified portion of the County of Limerick or of the County of Clare.

39.—In every action or other legal proceedings, whether civil or criminal, instituted in any court of law or equity by or against the Corporation the manager shall act for and on behalf of the Corporation and may do all such acts, matters, or things as he may consider necessary for the preparation and prosecution or defence of such action or other proceedings in the same manner in all respects as if (as the case may require) he were the plaintiff or prosecutor or the defendant therein, and where any such action or other proceeding relates to the exercise or the performance by the Council of any of the reserved functions the manager shall in the doing of any such act, matter or thing as aforesaid act with the express authority of the Council, which authority shall be deemed to have been given unless and until the contrary is shown.

40 Local inquiries.

40.—Whenever the Minister holds a local inquiry in pursuance of a direction or under an authority given by this Act, Article 32 of the Schedule to the Application of Enactments Order, 1898, shall apply in respect of such inquiry in like manner as it applies in respect of the inquiries mentioned in the said Article.

41 Regulations.

41.—The Minister may by order make regulations prescribing any matter or thing which is referred to in this Act as prescribed or to be prescribed.

42 The day of election and the appointed day.

42.—(1) The Minister may by order fix a day not being later than three months from the passing of this Act to be the day of election for the purposes of this Act.

43 Short title.

43.—This Act may be cited as the Limerick City Management Act, 1934.

FIRST SCHEDULE. Provisions in relation to Abolished Bodies.

Transfer of property of abolished bodies.

1.—(1) All property, whether real or personal (including choses-in-action) which immediately before the appointed day is vested in or belongs to or is held in trust for any of the abolished bodies and all rights, powers and privileges relating to or connected with any such property shall, on the appointed day and without any conveyance or assignment but subject where necessary to transfer in the books of any bank, corporation, or company, become and be vested in or the property of or held in trust for (as the case may require) the corporation for all the estate term, or interest for which the same immediately before the appointed day was vested in or belonged to or was held in trust for such abolished body, but subject to all trusts and equities affecting the same and then subsisting and capable of being performed.

Transfer of liabilities of abolished bodies.

2.—(1) Every debt and other liability (including stock and mortgage debts and also including unliquidated liabilities arising from torts or breaches of contract) which immediately before the appointed day is owing and unpaid or has been incurred and is undischarged by any of the abolished bodies shall, on the appointed day, become and be the debt or liability of the Corporation and shall be paid or discharged by and may be recovered from or enforced against the Corporation accordingly.

Transfer of special powers of abolished bodies.

3.—Every power, right, privilege, and authority conferred on or vested in any of the abolished bodies, either alone or jointly with another abolished body or any other body, by or under any statute or by contract, agreement, or licence (not being a power, right, privilege, or authority arising under general statutory or other law by reason merely of such abolished body being a corporate body or a sanitary authority) and in existence immediately before the appointed day shall, on the appointed day, become and be transferred to and vested in the Corporation and shall thenceforth be exercisable by the Corporation accordingly, either alone or jointly as the case may require.

Preservation of continuing contracts.

4.—Every bond, guarantee, or other security of a continuing character made or given by any of the abolished bodies to another person or by any person to any of the abolished bodies and in force immediately before the appointed day and every contract or agreement in writing made between any of the abolished bodies and another person and not fully executed and completed before the appointed shall, notwithstanding the dissolution of such abolished body, continue in force on and after the appointed day but shall be construed and have efffect as if the name of the Corporation were substituted therein for the name of such abolished body, and such security, contract, or agreement shall be enforceable by or against the Corporation accordingly.

Continuance of bye-laws, etc.

5.—Every bye-law, rule, and regulation lawfully made by any of the abolished bodies and in force immediately before the appointed day shall, on and after that day and so far as it is not inconsistent with this Act, continue in force and have effect as a bye-law, rule, or regulation (as the case may be) made on the appointed day by the Corporation for the residue then unexpired of the period and in respect of the area for and in respect of which the same was actually made by such abolished body, and accordingly every such bye-law, rule, and regulation may be continued, varied, or revoked and penalties and forfeitures arising thereunder on or after the appointed day may be recovered and enforced by the Corporation in the like manner and as fully as the same could have been continued, varied, revoked, recovered, or enforced by such abolished body if this Act had not been passed.

Continuance of resolutions, etc.

6.—Every resolution passed, order made, and notice served by any of the abolished bodies before the appointed day the operation, effect, or term of which has not ceased or expired before that day shall, on and after the appointed day and so far as is not inconsistent with this Act, continue in force and have effect as if it were a resolution passed, order made, or notice served by the Corporation on the date on which the same was actually passed, made, or served by such abolished body and as if the functions, powers and duties of such abolished body were on the last-mentioned date, already transferred to the Corporation.

Continuance of pending legal proceedings.

7.—In every action, suit, prosecution or other proceeding which is pending on the appointed day in any court or tribunal and to which an abolished body is a party, the Corporation shall on the appointed day become and be a party in the place of such abolished body and such proceeding shall be continued between the Corporation and the other parties thereto accordingly, and no such proceeding shall abate or be discontinued or prejudicially affected by reason of the dissolution of such abolished body.

Admissibility in evidence of books of abolished bodies.

8.—(1) All books and other documents directed or authorised by or under any statute to be kept by any of the abolished bodies and which, immediately before the appointed day, would be receivable in evidence shall, notwithstanding the dissolution of such abolished body, be admitted in evidence after the appointed day as fully as if this Act had not been passed.

Audit of accounts of abolished bodies.

9.—(1) The accounts of all receipts and expenditure of the several abolished bodies and of committees thereof and of the respective officers of such bodies and committees up to the appointed day shall, as soon as conveniently may be after that day, be audited and disallowances, surcharges Charges and penalties in relation to such accounts, receipts, and expenditure shall be made, recovered and enforced in like manner as nearly as may be as if this Act had not been passed.

Officers of abolished bodies.

10.—(1) Every person who is, on the day before the appointed day an officer of an abolished body shall, on the appointed day, be transferred to the service of the Corporation and become and be an officer of the Corporation.

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