The Gazette 1961 - 64

SOCIAL WELFARE (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) BILL, 1963 The above Bill, which was introduced recently, gives effect to the budget increases in social assistance payments and for the increase in the rates of social insurance benefits and contributions from January, 1964. The Bill also provides for an increase in the maximum yearly means which a person may have in order to qualify for a non-contributory old age pension. Section 2 of the Bill provides for increasing all rates of non-contributory old age and blind pensions by 2/6 per week and it comes into operation on the ist November, 1963. CORONERS' ACT, 1962 (FEES AND EX- PENSES) REGULATIONS, 1963 The above regulations (S.I. No. 145 of 1963) were signed by the Minister for Justice on the 25th July, 1963. They prescribe various fees and expenses for the purposes of the Coroners' Act, 1962 vl^. : the fee to be paid to a Coroner who holds an inquest outside his own district, the fee chargeable by a Coroner or a County Registrar for furnishing copies of inquest documents, the fees and expenses payable in respect of postmortem and special examinations and the attendance of witnesses at inquests and the removal or custody of a body. They replace the existing regulations (S.I. No. 92 of 1962). The regulations may be obtained from the Government Publications Sales Office, G.P.O. Arcade, Dublin, price gd. FINANCE BILL, 1963 The following is an excerpt from the Official Report of the Dail Debates relating to Section 16 of the Finance Bill, 1963. This section provides that the Revenue Commissioners may require any person in receipt of profits from a trade, profession or vocation to produce accounts and books relating thereto, or to make them available for inspection and copying. I move amendment No. 8 : To add to the section a new sub-section as follows : ' (3) Nothing in this section shall oblige a solicitor to disclose, contrary to professional privilege, any information concerning the affairs of any client of his or to produce any book or account from which any information concerning any client can be obtained.' "MR. SWEETMAN :

The following sections will be of interest to practitioners :— Section 8, which provides for the maintenance of a Register by the Planning Authority for the purposes of the Act in respect of all lands within the area and containing entries of all relevant matters. The Register is to incorporate a map to enable a person to trace any entry thereon and an applicant may obtain a certificate of any entry in the Register for a fee. It is not clear from the section if the Planning Authority will give something in the nature of a search showing all entries relating to specified premises. It is apparently the duty of the applicant to inspect the Register himself and then make application for certificates in relation to particular entries. Section 9, which obliges the occupier of any premises or any person receiving rent to give when required to the Planning Authority particulars of the estate or interest by virtue of which he occupies the premises or the name and address and the estate or interest (so far as they are known to him) of every person having an estate or interest in the land. Section 75 (i), which provides for the disposal of land by a Planning Authority for the purposes of the Act, and that the consent of the Minister may in certain cases be required. (It is not clear what effect the refusal of or failure to obtain consent would have upon a bona fide purchaser of the premises for value and it would seem, therefore, that any person purchasing such land should ensure, by means of a requisition on title, that the consent of the Minister has been given.) Under Sub-section (4) of Section 75 neither the Landlord and Tenant Acts, 1931 and 1958 nor the Rent Restrictions Act, 1960, apply to a lease granted by a Planning Authority where the land has been acquired by the Authority for the purposes of the Act and the Authority consider that they will not require the use of the land for any of their functions for a particular period. Such a lease is to be expressed to be a lease granted for the purposes of the particular sub-section. Section 82 provides that regulations may be made for any matters relating to references and appeals and under sub-section 4 any person conducting an oral hearing may require an officer of the Planning Authority to give information in relation thereto which would be reasonably required. Under Sub-section 7 any person may be required to attend and give evidence in relation to any matter in question at the hearing and to produce any books, deeds, contracts, accounts, vouchers, maps, plans or other documents in his possession or control relating to the subject matter of the appeal or reference.