No. 200/1937:

COMMITTEES FOR AGRICULTURAL WAGES AREAS (PROCEDURE) REGULATIONS, 1937.

COMMITTEES FOR AGRICULTURAL WAGES AREAS (PROCEDURE) REGULATIONS, 1937.

WHEREAS it is enacted by sub-section (12) of section 4 of the Agricultural Wages Act, 1936 (No. 53 of 1936), that the Minister for Agriculture may by regulations made by him under the said Act regulate the procedure of committees for agricultural wages areas:

AND WHEREAS it is enacted by section 22 of the said Act that the said Minister may by order make regulations in relation to any matter or thing which is expressed to be the subject of regulations under the said Act;

NOW, I, SÉAMAS O RIAIN, Minister for Agriculture, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by the Agricultural Wages Act, 1936 (No. 53 of 1936), and of every and any other power me in this behalf enabling, do hereby order and make the following regulations, that is to say:—

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Committees for Agricultural Wages Areas (Procedure) Regulations, 1937.

2. The Interpretation Act, 1923 (No. 46 of 1923), applies to the interpretation of these Regulations in like manner as it applies to the interpretation of an Act of the Oireachtas.

3. In these Regulations—

the expression "the Board" means the Agricultural Wages Board;

the expression "the Chairman" means the Chairman of the Board;

the word "committee" means a committee for an agricultural wages area.

4. Whenever the Board serves a notice under paragraph (a) of sub-section (6) of section 17 of the Agricultural Wages Act, 1936 , or serves a draft of an amending order under paragraph (a) of sub-section (7) of the said section 17, on a committee, the following provisions shall have effect, that is to say:—

(a) the Chairman shall cause a meeting of such committee to be summoned for the purposes of making recommendations to the Board pursuant to the provisions of the said Act;

(b) the Chairman shall so fix the date, hour, and place of such meeting, as to enable such committee to make recommendations to the Board within two months after the date of the service of such notice;

(c) the Secretary to such committee shall, not less than seven days before the date fixed for such meeting, send to each member of such committee by post in a prepaid registered envelope addressed to him at his last known place of abode—

(i) a notice stating the date, time and place of such meeting, and the purpose of such meeting, that is to say whether for the purpose of making recommendations to the Board in relation to the intention of the Board to make an order fixing minimum rates of agricultural wages or for the purpose of making recommendations in relation to the draft of an order amending or revoking an order previously made by the Board, and

(ii) if the purpose of the meeting is the latter one, a copy of the draft of such order.

5. Meetings of a committee shall be open only to the Chairman, the Secretary and members of such committee and such officers of the Board as may be required to attend.

6. The quorum at any meeting of a committee shall consist of not less than two members representative of agricultural employers and two members representative of agricultural workers in addition to the Chairman.

7. The following provisions shall apply in relation to the proceedings at a meeting of a committee, that is to say:—

(a) every motion intended to embody the recommendations of such committee and every amendment thereto shall, before being considered at such meeting, be reduced to writing, signed and dated by the proposer and seconder as correct, and be read to such meeting by the Chairman;

(b) no motion shall be considered at the meeting which, in the opinion of the Chairman, is not relevant to the business of such meeting;

(c) when a motion has been duly moved any member may propose an amendment thereto and such amendment, if seconded, shall be considered at such meeting;

(d) no second or subsequent amendment shall be moved at such meeting until the preceding amendment has been disposed of;

(e) amendments moved at such meeting shall be expressed—

(i) to leave out words;

(ii) to insert or add other words; and

(iii) to insert or add words;

(f) any amendment when proposed and considered at such meeting may be withdrawn by the proposer and, if not so withdrawn, shall be put to such meeting for determination, and when all amendments have been disposed of the motion with such amendment, if any, as may have been adopted by such committee shall be put to the meeting for determination;

(g) each member other than the Chairman shall have one vote, and the Chairman shall not vote on any motion or amendment before the meeting;

(h) every motion or amendment put before such meeting shall be affirmed or negatived by a majority vote of the members present and voting at the meeting, and in the event of an equal number voting for and against a motion or amendment it shall remain undetermined and the names of the members of such committee voting for and against shall be recorded by the Secretary.

8. The Chairman shall have power to adjourn to a further meeting of any committee the consideration of any matter before a meeting of such committee whenever he considers such action to be desirable.

9. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to a committee to furnish as soon as may be after each meeting of such committee to the Secretary of the Board for communication to the Board any resolution or resolutions and any amendment or amendments thereto which were affirmed or negatived or, by reason of equal voting at the meeting, left undetermined, together with the names of the proposer and seconder and the members voting for or against, or abstaining from voting in each case.

10. Whenever a vacancy occurs amongst the ordinary members of a committee by the death or resignation of an ordinary member, the Chairman shall notify the Minister for Agriculture of such vacancy by letter addressed to the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture.

Given under my Seal of Office, this 21st day of July, 1937.

(Signed) SÉAMAS O RIAIN,

Minister for Agriculture.