Number 28 of 1977

MINISTERS AND SECRETARIES (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) ACT, 1977

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Number 28 of 1977

MINISTERS AND SECRETARIES (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) ACT, 1977

Appointment of Ministers of State.

1.—(1) The Government may, on the nomination of the Taoiseach, appoint not more than 10 persons, who are members of either House of the Oireachtas, to be Ministers of State at Departments of State and may at any time, on the recommendation of the Taoiseach, remove a Minister of State so appointed.

(2) A person appointed to be a Minister of State shall continue to hold office so long only as he continues to be a member of a House of the Oireachtas, but a Minister of State in office at the date of a dissolution of Dáil Éireann shall continue to hold office until the successor of the Taoiseach who was in office on such date shall have been appointed.

(3) If the Taoiseach at any time resigns from office, a Minister of State shall be deemed also to have resigned from office, but shall continue to carry on his duties until the successor of the Taoiseach shall have been appointed.

(4) A Minister of State appointed under this section shall by his appointment be assigned to act as Minister of State at a Department of State.

Delegation of powers and duties of Ministers of the Government to Ministers of State.

2.—(1) It shall be lawful for the Government, by order made on the request of a Minister of the Government, to delegate to a Minister of State assigned to the Department of State of which the Minister of the Government has charge all the powers and duties of such Minister of the Government under any particular Act or any particular statutory power or duty of such Minister of the Government.

(2) The following provisions shall apply and have effect in relation to a delegation to a Minister of State under this section, that is to say:—

(a) the Government may at any time revoke the delegation either at the request of the Minister of the Government on whose request it was made or without any such request,

(b) the delegation shall terminate on the happening of either or both of the following events, that is to say, the Minister of the Government on whose request such delegation was made ceasing (otherwise than by a resignation from office to which Article 28.11.1° of the Constitution refers) to be the Minister of the Government to whose powers and duties the delegation relates or the Minister of State to whom the delegation was made ceasing to be Minister of State assigned to the Department of State of which the said Minister of the Government has charge,

(c) the delegation shall operate, so long as it continues in force, to confer on and vest in the Minister of State to whom it is made each of the statutory powers and duties delegated by the delegation,

(d) every statutory power and duty delegated by the delegation shall be exercisable and performed by such Minister of State in his own name but subject to the general superintendence and control of the Minister of the Government on whose request it was made and subject to any conditions or restrictions stated in the delegation,

(e) every statutory power or duty delegated by the delegation shall, notwithstanding the delegation, continue to be vested in the Minister of the Government on whose request the delegation was made but shall be so vested concurrently with such Minister of State and so as to be capable of being exercised or performed by either such Minister of the Government or such Minister of State, and

(f) the delegation shall not remove or derogate from the responsibility of the Minister of the Government on whose request it was made to Dáil Éireann or as a member of the Government for the exercise or performance of the statutory powers and duties thereby delegated.

Application of enactments.

3.—The references in section 17 of the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924, and sections 4 and 6 of the Documentary Evidence Act, 1925, to a Minister and a Minister who is the head of a Department of State shall be construed as including references to a Minister of State and a Parliamentary Secretary.

Amendment of Interpretation Act, 1937.

4.—The Schedule to the Interpretation Act, 1937, is hereby amended, as respects this Act and Acts of the Oireachtas passed after the passing of this Act and instruments (within the meaning of the Interpretation Act, 1937) made wholly or partly under any such Act after the passing of this Act, by the substitution in paragraph 18 of “Minister of the Government” for “Minister of State” and the said paragraph, as so amended, is set out in the Table to this section.

TABLE

18.—The expression “Minister of the Government” means a member of the Government having charge of a Department of State.

Amendment of Defence Act, 1954.

5.—The Defence Act, 1954, is hereby amended by the substitution in section 11 (2) of “Minister of State at the Department of Defence” for “Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence” and the said section 11 (2), as so amended, is set out in the Table to this section.

TABLE

(2) The Council shall consist of two civil members, namely, the Minister of State at the Department of Defence and the Secretary of the Department of Defence, and three military members, namely, the Chief of Staff, the Adjutant-General and the Quartermaster-General.

Repeals.

6.—Section 7 of the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924, and sections 8 and 9 of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1939, are hereby repealed.

Short title, construction, citation and commencement.

7.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1977.

(2) This Act shall be construed as one with the Ministers and Secretaries Acts, 1924 to 1977, and this Act shall be included in the collective citation, the Ministers and Secretaries Acts, 1924 to 1977.

(3) This Act shall come into operation on such day or days as, by order or orders made by the Government, may be fixed therefor either generally or with reference to any particular purpose or provision and different days may be so fixed for different purposes and different provisions.

Uimhir 28 de 1977

AN tACHT AIRÍ AGUS RÚNAITHE (LEASÚ) (UIMH. 2), 1977

[An tiontú oifigiúil]

Airí Stáit a cheapadh.

1.—(1) Féadfaidh an Rialtas, ar ainmniú an Taoisigh, deichniúr daoine ar a mhéid, is comhaltaí de cheachtar Teach den Oireachtas, a cheapadh chun bheith ina nAirí Stáit ag Ranna Stáit, agus féadfaidh sé tráth ar bith, ar mholadh an Taoisigh, Aire Stáit a cheapfar amhlaidh a chur as oifig.

(2) Duine a cheapfar chun bheith ina Aire Stáit ní fhanfaidh sé i seilbh oifige ach fad a fhanfaidh sé ina chomhalta de Theach den Oireachtas, ach Aire Stáit a bheidh in oifig ar dháta Dháil Éireann a lánscor fanfaidh sé i seilbh oifige go dtí go mbeidh comharba an Taoisigh a bhí in oifig ar an dáta sin ceaptha.

(3) Má éiríonn an Taoiseach as oifig tráth ar bith, measfar Aire Stáit a bheith éirithe as oifig freisin, ach fanfaidh sé i mbun a dhualgas go dtí go gceapfar comharba an Taoisigh.

(4) Déanfar Aire Stáit a cheapfar faoin alt seo a shannadh trína cheapachán chun gníomhú mar Aire Stáit ag Roinn Stáit.

Cumhachtaí agus dualgais Airí Rialtais a tharmligean chun Airí Stáit.

2.—(1) Is dleathach don Rialtas, le hordú a dhéanfar ar iarratas ó Aire Rialtais, cumhachtaí agus dualgais uile an Aire Rialtais sin faoi aon Acht áirithe nó aon chumhacht nó dualgas reachtúil áirithe de chuid an Aire Rialtais sin a tharmligean chun Aire Stáit a sannadh chun na Roinne Stáit ar a bhfuil an tAire Rialtais i gceannas.

(2) Beidh feidhm agus éifeacht leis na forálacha seo a leanas i ndáil le tarmligean chun Aire Stáit faoin alt seo, is é sin le rá:—

(a) féadfaidh an Rialtas tráth ar bith an tarmligean a chúlghairm ar iarratas ón Aire Rialtais ar ar iarratas uaidh a rinneadh é nó gan aon iarratas den sórt sin,

(b) beidh deireadh leis an tarmligean ar cheachtar de na teagmhais seo a leanas, nó iad araon, tarlú, is é sin le rá, an tAire Rialtais ar ar iarratas uaidh a rinneadh an tarmligean sin do scor (seachas trí éirí as oifig lena mbaineann Airteagal 28.11.1° den Bhunreacht) de bheith ina Aire Rialtais a mbaineann an tarmligean lena chumhachtaí agus a dhualgais nó an tAire Stáit ar chuige a rinneadh an tarmligean do scor de bheith ina Aire Stáit a sannadh chun na Roinne Stáit ar a bhfuil an tAire Rialtais sin i gceannas,

(c) oibreoidh an tarmligean, fad a bheidh feidhm aige, le gach ceann de na cumhachtaí agus na dualgais reachtúla a tarmligeadh leis an tarmligean a thabhairt agus a dhílsiú don Aire Stáit ar chuige a rinneadh an tarmligean,

(d) beidh gach cumhacht agus dualgas reachtúil a tharmligfear leis an tarmligean infheidhmithe ag an Aire Stáit sin, agus comhlíonfaidh sé iad, ina ainm féin ach sin faoi réir mhaoirseacht agus rialú ginearálta an Aire Rialtais ar ar iarratas uaidh a rinneadh an tarmligean agus faoi réir aon choinníollacha nó sriantachtaí a bheidh luaite sa tarmligean,

(e) leanfaidh gach cumhacht nó dualgas a tharmligfear leis an tarmligean de bheith, d'ainneoin an tarmligin, dílsithe don Aire Rialtais ar ar iarratas uaidh a rinneadh an tarmligean ach beidh sé dílsithe amhlaidh i gcomhthráth leis an Aire Stáit sin agus sa dóigh go bhféadfaidh an tAire Rialtais sin nó an tAire Stáit sin an céanna a fheidhmiú nó a chomhlíonadh, agus

(f) ní chealóidh ná ní mhaolóidh an tarmligean freagracht an Aire Rialtais ar ar iarratas uaidh a rinneadh é do Dháil Éireann nó mar chomhalta den Rialtas i ndáil leis na cumhachtaí agus na dualgais reachtúla a tarmligeadh leis sin a fheidhmiú agus a chomhlíonadh.

Feidhmiú achtachán.

3.—Déanfar na tagairtí in alt 17 den Acht Airí agus Rúnaithe, 1924, agus in ailt 4 agus 6 den Acht um Fhianaise Scríbhinne, 1925, d'Aire agus d'Aire atá ina cheann ar Roinn Stáit a fhorléiriú mar thagairtí a fholaíonn tagairtí d'Aire Stáit agus do Rúnaí Parlaiminte.

Leasú ar an Acht Léiriúcháin, 1937.

4.—Leasaítear leis seo an Sceideal a ghabhann leis an Acht Léiriúcháin, 1937, maidir leis an Acht seo agus le hAchtanna ón Oireachtas a rithfear tar éis dáta an Achta seo a rith agus le hionstraimí (de réir brí an Achta Léiriúcháin, 1937) a dhéanfar go hiomlán nó go páirteach faoi aon Acht den sórt sin tar éis dáta an Achta seo a rith, trí “Aire Rialtais” a chur in ionad “Aire Stáit” i mír 18 agus tá an mhír sin, arna leasú amhlaidh, leagtha amach sa Tábla a ghabhann leis an alt seo.

Leasú ar an Acht Cosanta, 1954.

5.—Leasaítear leis seo an tAcht Cosanta, 1954, trí “an tAire Stáit ag an Roinn Cosanta” a chur in ionad “Rúnaí Parlaiminte an Aire Chosanta” in alt 11 (2) agus tá an t-alt sin 11 (2), arna leasú amhlaidh, leagtha amach sa Tábla a ghabhann leis an alt seo.

Aisghairm.

6.—Aisghairtear leis seo alt 7 den Acht Airí agus Rúnaithe, 1924, agus ailt 8 agus 9 den Acht Airí agus Rúnaithe (Leasú), 1939.

Gearrtheideal, forléiriú, lua agus tosach feidhme.

7.—(1) Féadfar an tAcht Airí agus Rúnaithe (Leasú) (Uimh. 2), 1977, a ghairm den Acht seo.

(2) Forléireofar an tAcht seo agus na hAchtanna Airí agus Rúnaithe, 1924 go 1977, mar aon ní amháin agus folóidh an comhlua, na hAchtanna Airí agus Rúnaithe, 1924 go 1977, an tAcht seo.

(3) Tiocfaidh an tAcht seo i ngníomh cibé lá nó laethanta a shocrófar chuige sin, le hordú nó le horduithe ón Rialtas, i gcoitinne nó faoi threoir aon chríche nó forála áirithe, agus féadfar laethanta éagsúla a shocrú amhlaidh chun críocha éagsúla agus forálacha éagsúla.