PART VI.

Miscellaneous and General.

31. —(1) It shall not be lawful for any person to make, order, purchase, import or have in his possession an official seal or a colourable imitation thereof, or an official fastener, or a colourable imitation thereof, or a prescribed form of certificate of suitability or a colourable imitation thereof, or a prescribed form of consignment certificate or a colourable imitation thereof.

(2) Nothing in this section shall render it unlawful for any person to have in his possession an official seal or an official fastener with which a package of potatoes has been sealed or fastened by an inspector under this Act.

(3) Nothing in this section shall render it unlawful for an officer of the State acting in the course of his duty as such officer to order, purchase, import or have in his possession an official seal, or an official fastener, or to order, purchase, import, or have in his possession a prescribed form of consignment certificate or certificate of suitability or for any person in pursuance of an order lawfully given or a contract lawfully made by any such officer to make, import or have in his possession any such seal, fastener or form.

(4) Every person who in contravention of this section, makes, orders, purchases, imports or has in his possession an official seal or a colourable imitation thereof or an official fastener or a colourable imitation thereof or a prescribed form of consignment certificate or a colourable imitation thereof, or a prescribed form of certificate of suitability or a colourable imitation thereof shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding twenty-five pounds, or at the discretion of the Court, to imprisonment for any term not exceeding three months.

32. —(1) It shall not be lawful for any person (other than an inspector) to seal any package of potatoes with an official seal, or to fasten any package of potatoes with an official fastener.

(2) Every person who acts in contravention of this section shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding twenty-five pounds, or, at the discretion of the Court, to imprisonment for any term not exceeding three months.

33. —The powers conferred on the Minister by this Act shall be and be exercised without prejudice to the exercise by the Minister and by local authorities of the powers respectively conferred on them by the Destructive Insects and Pests Acts, 1877 to 1929.

34. —Every offence under any provision of this Act may be prosecuted by or at the suit of the Minister as prosecutor.

35. —(1) The Minister may by order make regulations in regard to any matter or thing referred to in this Act as prescribed, or as being or to be prescribed.

(2) Any regulations made by the Minister under this Act may relate to the several matters in respect of which the power to make regulations is conferred by different sections of this Act.

(3) Any regulations made by the Minister under this Act in regard to fees shall be subject to the approval of the Minister for Finance.

(4) Every regulation made by the Minister under this Act shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made, and if a resolution is passed by either House of the Oireachtas within the next subsequent twenty-one days on which that House has sat annulling such regulation, such regulation shall be annulled accordingly, but without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under such regulation.

36. —All fees received by the Minister under this Act shall be paid into or disposed of for the benefit of the Exchequer in such manner as the Minister for Finance may direct.

37. —All expenses of carrying this Act into effect shall, to such extent as shall be sanctioned by the Minister for Finance, be paid out of moneys to be provided from time to time by the Oireachtas.