Number 37 of 1959.

RESTRICTIVE TRADE PRACTICES (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1959.

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Number 37 of 1959.

RESTRICTIVE TRADE PRACTICES (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1959.

The Principal Act.

1.—In this Act “the Principal Act” means the Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1953.

Amendments of section 7 of the Principal Act.

2.—(1) Section 7 of the Principal Act is hereby amended by the substitution for subsection (1) of the following:

“(1) The Commission may, on their own initiative, and shall, at the request of the Minister, cause an enquiry to be held—

(a) into the conditions which obtain in regard to the supply and distribution of any kind of goods or to one or more aspects of the supply and distribution of one or more kinds of goods, or

(b) into one or more aspects of the operation of an order under section 9 of this Act.”

(2) Section 7 of the Principal Act is hereby amended by the substitution for subsection (5) of the following:

“(5) The Commission may, in the course of an enquiry, enquire into the conditions which obtain in regard to the rendering, in the course of carrying on any trade or business, of any services affecting the supply or distribution of the goods concerned.”

Amendment of section 8 of the Principal Act.

3.— Section 8 of the Principal Act is hereby amended by the substitution for paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of the following :

“(a) describe—

(i) the conditions which obtain in regard to the supply or distribution of the goods concerned, and

(ii) where appropriate, the conditions in regard to the rendering, in the course of carrying on any trade or business, of any services affecting such supply or distribution,

in so far as those conditions have effect in relation to the observance of the fair trading rules, or come within the scope of and have effect in relation to the enquiry, as the case may be, to which the report relates ;”.

Enquiries into refusal to use particular materials or methods for certain purposes.

4.—(1) The Commission shall, whenever so requested by the Minister, cause an enquiry to be held into the refusal or alleged refusal by employers or employees (or any combination of employers or of employees or of employers and employees) to use particular materials or particular methods for manufacturing or construction purposes.

(2) Subsections (2), (3), (4) and (6) of section 7 of the Principal Act and paragraph 7 of the First Schedule to that Act shall have effect in relation to an enquiry under this section.

(3) The Commission shall submit to the Minister a report of every enquiry under this section.

General review of orders under section 9 of the Principal Act.

5.—The Commission shall keep under review the operation of orders under section 9 of the Principal Act.

Special review of order unde section 9 of the Princip Act.

6.—(1) The Commission may, on their own initiative, and shall, at the request of the Minister, hold a special review of the operation of an order under section 9 of the Principal Act.

(2) A special review may relate to the operation of an order as a whole or to particular aspects of the operation of an order.

(3) The Commission shall cause to be published in such manner as they think fit notice of their intention to hold a special review and shall give to any person desiring to make submissions in relation to the subject matter of the review an opportunity to do so; and the notice shall specify the time and manner in which submissions are to be made.

(4) Upon the publication of a notice by the Commission of their intention to hold a special review, any person may request the Commission to conduct the review by means of an enquiry under section 7 of the Principal Act as amended by section 2 of this Act.

(5) Where the Commission, having received a request under subsection (4) of this section, decide not to conduct a special review by means of an enquiry under the said section 7, they shall inform the person who made the request of the reasons for their decision.

(6) The Commission shall submit to the Minister a report of every special review and the report shall state whether any request was made to the Commission under subsection (4) of this section and, if so, give the reasons for their decision not to accede to the request.

(7) Where the Commission are of opinion that the Minister should amend the order which is the subject of a special review, they shall in their report of the review recommend accordingly and indicate the form of amending order they recommend.

(8) Where the Commission are of opinion that the Minister should revoke the order which is the subject of a special review, they shall in their report of the review recommend accordingly.

Laying of copies of reports before Houses of the Oireachtas.

7.—(1) The Minister shall lay before each House of the Oireachtas a copy of the report made by the Commission of every enquiry under section 4 of this Act and every special review under section 6 of this Act.

(2) It shall be lawful for the Minister after consultation with the Commission to omit from the copy any information contained in the report the publication of which would, in his opinion, materially injure the legitimate business interests of any person, if such information is not essential to the full understanding of the report.

(3) The Minister shall lay before each House of the Oireachtas, together with the copy of the report, a statement indicating the general character of any information so omitted.

Further amendments of the Principal Act.

8.—(1) Section 9 of the Principal Act is hereby amended by the insertion at the end of subsection (2) of “or under this subsection”.

(2) Section 9 of the Principal Act is hereby amended by the insertion in subsection (5) after “months” of “(being months in which Dáil Éireann or Seanad Éireann has sat for not less than three days) ”.

(3) Section 10 of the Principal Act is hereby amended by the deletion of “and the operation of orders under section 9”.

Construction of certain references to the Principal Act.

9.—The references to the Principal Act contained in sub-paragraph (3) of paragraph 8 and paragraph 9 of the First Schedule to that Act shall be construed as including references to this Act.

Short title, construction and collective citation.

10.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Restrictive Trade Practices (Amendment) Act, 1959.

(2) The Principal Act and this Act shall be construed together as one and may be cited together as the Restrictive Trade Practices Acts, 1953 and 1959.

Uimhir 37 de 1959.

AN tACHT UM CHLEACHTAIS SRIANTA TRÁDÁLA (LEASÚ), 1959.

[An tiontó oifigiúil.]

An Príomh-Acht.

1953, Uimh. 14.

1.—San Acht seo ciallaíonn “an Príomh-Acht” an tAcht um Chleachtais Srianta Trádála, 1953.

Alt 7 den Phríomh-Acht a leasú.

2.—(1) Leasaítear leis seo alt 7 den Phríomh-Acht tríd an bhfo-alt seo a leanas a chur in ionad fo-ailt (1) :

“(1) Féadfaidh an Coimisiún, as a dtreoir féin, a chur faoi deara, agus ar an Aire dá iarraidh sin, cuirfidh siad faoi deara, fiosrúchán a dhéanamh—

(a) i dtaobh na ndála atá ann maidir le soláthar agus imdháil aon chineál earraí nó maidir le gné amháin nó níos mó de sholáthar agus imdháil chineál amháin nó níos mó earraí, nó

(b) i dtaobh gné amháin nó níos mó d'oibriú ordaithe faoi alt 9 den Acht seo.”

(2) Leasaítear leis seo alt 7 den Phríomh-Acht tríd an méid seo a leanas a chur in ionad fo-ailt (5) :

“(5) Féadfaidh an Coimisiún, i gcúrsa fiosrúcháin, fiosrú a dhéanamh i dtaobh na ndála atá ann maidir le haon seirbhísí, a bhaineann le soláthar nó imdháil na n-earraí atá i gceist, a thabhairt i gcúrsa aon trádáil nó gnó a sheoladh.”

Alt 8 den Phríomh-Acht a leasú.

3.—Leasaítear leis seo alt 8 den Phríomh-Acht tríd an méid seo a leanas a chur in ionad míre (a) d'fho-alt (1) :

“(a) tuairisceofar inti—

(i) na dála atá ann maidir le soláthar nó imdháil na n-earraí atá i gceist, agus

(ii) más iomchuí é, na dála maidir le haon seirbhísí, a bhaineann leis an soláthar nó an imdháil sin, a thabhairt i gcúrsa aon trádáil nó gnó a sheoladh,

a mhéid atá éifeacht ag na dála sin maidir le hurramú na rialacha cóir-thrádála, nó a thagann na dála sin faoi réim, nó go bhfuil éifeacht acu i leith, an fhiosrúcháin, cibé acu é, lena mbainfidh an tuarascáil;”.

Fiosrúcháin i dtaobh daoine do dhiúltú ábhair nó modhanna áirithe a úsáid chun críocha áirithe.

4.—(1) Cuirfidh an Coimisiún faoi deara, aon uair a iarrfaidh an tAire orthu é, fiosrúchán a dhéanamh i dtaobh diúltú nó diúltú líomhnaithe ag fostóirí nó fostaithe (nó ag aon chuallaíocht fostóirí nó fostaithe nó fostóirí agus fostaithe) ábhair áirithe nó modhanna áirithe a úsáid chun críocha monaraíochta nó foirgníochta.

(2) Beidh éifeacht maidir le fiosrúchán faoin alt seo ag fo-ailt (2), (3), (4), agus (6) d'alt 7 den Phríomh-Acht agus ag mír 7 den Chéad Sceideal a ghabhann leis an Acht sin.

(3) Déanfaidh an Coimisiún tuarascáil ar gach fiosrúchán faoin alt seo a chur faoi bhráid an Aire.

Léirbhreithniú ginearálta ar orduithe faoi alt 9 den Phríomh-Acht.

5.—Coimeádfaidh an Coimisiún oibriú orduithe faoi alt 9 den Phríomh-Acht faoi léirbhreithniú.

Léirbhreithniú speisialta ar ordú faoi alt 9 den Phríomh-Acht.

6.—(1) Féadfaidh an Coimisiún, as a dtreoir féin, léirbhreithniú speisialta a dhéanamh, agus, ar an Aire dá iarraidh sin, déanfaidh siad léirbhreithniú speisialta, ar oibriú ordaithe faoi alt 9 den Phríomh-Acht.

(2) Féadfaidh leirbhreithniú speisialta baint a bheith aige le hoibriú ordaithe go hiomlán nó le gnéithe áirithe d'oibriú ordaithe.

(3) Cuirfidh an Coimisiún faoi deara go bhfoilseofar i cibé slí is oiriúnach leo fógra go bhfuil ar intinn acu léirbhreithniú speisialta a dhéanamh agus tabharfaidh siad caoi d'aon duine ar mian leis é chun aighneachtaí a chur faoina mbráid i dtaobh ábhair an léirbhreithnithe; agus sonrófar san fhógra an t-am agus an tslí chun aighneachtaí a dhéanamh.

(4) Nuair a fhoilseoidh an Coimisiún fógra go bhfuil ar intinn acu léirbhreithniú speisialta a dhéanamh, féadfaidh aon duine a iarraidh ar an gCoimisiún an léirbhreithniú a dhéanamh trí fhiosrúchán faoi alt 7 den Phríomh-Acht arna leasú le halt 2 den Acht seo.

(5) Má chinneann an Coimisiún, tar éis dóibh iarratas a fháil faoi fho-alt (4) den alt seo, gan léirbhreithniú speisialta a dhéanamh trí fhiosrúchán faoin alt sin 7, cuirfidh siad in iúl don duine a rinne an t-iarratas na fátha gur chinneadar amhlaidh.

(6) Déanfaidh an Coimisiún tuarascáil ar gach léirbhreithniú speisialta a chur faoi bhráid an Aire, agus luafar sa tuarascáil cé acu a rinneadh nó nach ndearnadh aon iarratas chun an Choimisiúin faoi fho-alt (4) den alt seo, agus, má rinneadh, na fátha gur chinn siad gan géilleadh don iarratas.

(7) Más é tuairim an Choimisiúin gur cheart don Aire an t-ordú is ábhar do léirbhreithniú speisialta a leasú, déanfaidh siad moladh dá réir sin ina dtuarascáil ar an léirbhreithniú agus luafaidh siad inti foirm an ordaithe leasaithigh a mholann siad.

(8) Más é tuairim an Choimisiúin gur cheart don Aire an t-ordú is ábhar do léirbhreithniú speisialta a chúlghairm, déanfaidh siad moladh dá réir sin ina dtuarascáil ar an léirbhreithniú.

Cóipeanna de thuarascála a leagan faoi bhráid Thithe an Oireachtais.

7.—(1) Leagfaidh an tAire faoi bhráid gach Tí den Oireachtas cóip den tuarascáil a thabharfaidh an Coimisiún ar gach fiosrúchán faoi alt 4 den Acht seo agus ar gach léirbhreithniú speisialta faoi alt 6 den Acht seo.

(2) Is dleathach don Aire tar éis dó dul i gcomhairle leis an gCoimisiún aon eolas sa tuarascáil a fhágáil ar lár as an gcóip más dóigh leis go ndéanfadh foilsiú an eolais sin dochar ábhartha do leasa dlisteanacha gnó dhuine ar bith, más rud é nach gá an t-eolas sin chun an tuarascáil a thuiscint go hiomlán.

(3) Leagfaidh an tAire faoi bhráid gach Tí den Oireachtas, i dteannta na cóipe den tuarascáil, ráiteas ag tabhairt cuntais ghinearálta ar aon eolas a fágadh ar lár amhlaidh.

An Príomh-Acht a leasú tuilleadh.

8.—(1) Leasaítear leis seo alt 9 den Phríomh-Acht trí “nó faoin bhfo-alt seo” a chur isteach i ndiaidh “faoi fho-alt (1)” i bhfo-alt (2).

(2) Leasaítear leis seo alt 9 den Phríomh-Acht trí “(is trí mhí a shuigh Dáil Éireann nó Seanad Éireann trí lá ar a laghad)” a chur isteach i ndiaidh “de thrí mhí” i bhfo-alt (5).

(3) Leasaítear leis seo alt 10 den Phríomh-Acht trí “agus oibriú orduithe faoi alt 9” a scrios.

Tagairtí áirithe don Phríomh-Acht a fhorléiriú.

9.—Déanfar na tagairtí don Phríomh-Acht atá i bhfo-mhír (3) de mhír 8 agus i mír 9 den Chéad Sceideal a ghabhann leis an Acht sin a fhorléiriú mar thagairtí a fholaíonn tagairtí don Acht seo.

Gearrtheideal, forléiriú agus comhlua.

10.—(1) Féadfar an tAcht um Chleachtais Srianta Trádála (Leasú), 1959, a ghairm den Acht seo.

(2) Forléireofar mar aon ní amháin an Príomh-Acht agus an tAcht seo agus féadfar na hAchtanna um Chleachtais Srianta Trádála, 1953 agus 1959, a ghairm díobh le chéile.