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RATS AND MICE (DESTRUCTION) ACT 1919

RATS AND MICE (DESTRUCTION) ACT 1919 - LONG TITLE

An Act to make further provision for the Destruction of Rats and
Mice.{1}
[23rd December 1919]
Penalty for failure to destroy rats and mice.

RATS AND MICE (DESTRUCTION) ACT 1919 - SECT 1

1. Any person who shall fail to take such steps as may from time
to time be necessary and reasonably practicable for the destruction
of rats and mice on or in any land of which he is the occupier,
or for preventing such land from becoming infested with rats or
mice, shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding
five pounds, or, where he has been served with a notice under this
Act requiring him to take such steps, not exceeding twenty pounds.[

RATS AND MICE (DESTRUCTION) ACT 1919 - SECT 2
Enforcement of Act.

2. Each district council shall enforce the provisions of this Act
within its district.]

RATS AND MICE (DESTRUCTION) ACT 1919 - SECT 3
Enforcement powers in case of default by district council.

3.(1) Where a [district council] ... fails, in respect of land of
which it is the occupier, to comply with the provisions of section
one of this Act or fails, in respect of [any other land within
its district], to execute or enforce any of the provisions of this
Act, the Local Government Board for Ireland may by order empower
the person therein named to enter upon such land and to execute
and enforce those provisions or to procure the execution and
enforcement thereof.

(2) The expenses incurred by or on behalf of the Board by reason
of any such default of a [district council] shall be paid to the
Board on demand by the ... [district council], and in default of
payment the Board may recover the amount of such expenses (except
in so far as such expenses are otherwise recoverable under this
Act) from the [district council] ....

(3) For the purposes of this section, any statement contained in an
order of the Board that a [district council] has failed to comply
with, execute, or enforce any of the provisions of this Act shall
be conclusive evidence of such default, and a certificate by the
Board of expenses incurred under this section shall be conclusive
evidence of such expenses.

RATS AND MICE (DESTRUCTION) ACT 1919 - SECT 4
Notice by district council of effective methods.

4. A [district council] ... may from time to time, by public
notice within its [district], give instructions as to the most
effective methods that can be adopted, both individually and
collectively, with a view to the destruction of rats and mice.

RATS AND MICE (DESTRUCTION) ACT 1919 - SECT 5
Powers of district councils and authorised persons, and penalty for
interference.

5.(1) Where a [district council] ... is of opinion that the
occupier of any land in its district has failed to take such steps
as are required by section one of this Act, such [district council]
may either serve a notice on the occupier requiring him to take
such steps as are prescribed in the notice within a time specified
therein, or, after not less than twenty-four hours previous notice
to the occupier, enter upon the land and take such steps as are
necessary and reasonably practicable for the purpose of destroying
the rats and mice on the land or of preventing the land from
becoming infested with rats and mice, and may recover any reasonable
expenses so incurred from the occupier of the land summarily as a
civil debt.

(2) A [district council] in the exercise of its powers under this
section shall, as far as possible, take or secure collective action
for the destruction of rats or mice.

Subs.(3) rep. by SRO (NI) 1973/211

(4) Any person authorised in writing by a [district council] under
this Act, or by a person empowered to act in default of a
[district council], may enter any land in the district of such
[district council] for the purpose of ascertaining whether the steps
required by section one of this Act are being taken or of
executing and enforcing this Act in any other respect. Any such
person must produce the document by which he is authorised if so
required.

(5) Any person who shall obstruct or impede an officer or other
person authorised as aforesaid in the execution of his duties or
powers under this Act, or who, being the occupier of any land,
shall fail to comply with any reasonable requirement of any such
officer or other authorised person for facilitating the execution of
his duties or powers, shall be liable on summary conviction to a
fine not exceeding twenty pounds.

RATS AND MICE (DESTRUCTION) ACT 1919 - SECT 6
Application to vessels.

6.(1) This Act shall apply to a vessel as if the vessel were
land, and the master of the vessel shall be deemed to be the
occupier thereof.

(2) A [district council] ... may, by notice served on the master
of a vessel in its district, require him to take such necessary
and reasonably practicable steps as are prescribed by the notice for
preventing the escape of rats and mice from the ship, and, if a
master fails to comply with the requirements of any such notice
served on him, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine
not exceeding twenty pounds.

RATS AND MICE (DESTRUCTION) ACT 1919 - SECT 7
Prosecutions.

7.(1) A prosecution for an offence under this Act shall not be
instituted except by or with the authority of the Local Government
Board for Ireland or the [district council]: ...

Subs.(2) rep. by SRO (NI) 1973/211

RATS AND MICE (DESTRUCTION) ACT 1919 - SECT 8
Interpretation.

8. In this Act

The expression "occupier" means, in the case of land not occupied
by any tenant or other person, the owner of the land;

The expression "land" includes any buildings and any other erection
on land, and any cellar, sewer, drain or culvert in or under land;

[The expression "district council" means a council established under
the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972].

S.9(2) (Application to Ireland)

RATS AND MICE (DESTRUCTION) ACT 1919 - SECT 10
Saving of existing powers.

10. The powers conferred by this Act shall be in addition to and
not in derogation of any powers conferred on any Government
department or [district council], and all such powers may be
exercised concurrently in respect of any land.

RATS AND MICE (DESTRUCTION) ACT 1919 - SECT 11
Service of notices.

11. Any notice under this Act may be served either personally or
by registered post.

RATS AND MICE (DESTRUCTION) ACT 1919 - SECT 12
Short title.

12. This Act may be cited as the Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act,
1919 ....