An Blascaod MÃ³r National Historic Park Act, 1989
Acts of the Oireachtas
Source: Acts of the Oireachtas

num: 1
paragraphs: —(1) In this Act—
“the Commissioners” means the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland;
“the Foundation” means FondÃºireacht An Bhlascaoid Teoranta, being the body incorporated for the purpose, inter alia, of preserving, and promoting the knowledge of, the historic heritage, culture, traditions and values of An Blascaod MÃ³r and Corca Dhuibhne generally;
“functions” includes powers and duties and references to the performance of a function include, in relation to a power or a duty, references to the exercise of the power or the carrying out of the duty;
“the Island” means An Blascaod MÃ³r;
“the Minister” means the Minister for the Gaeltacht;
“the Park” means An Blascaod MÃ³r National Historic Park established by section 2 .
(2) In this Act—
(a) a reference to any enactment shall, unless the context otherwise requires, be construed as a reference to that enactment as amended, adapted or extended by or under any subsequent enactment,
(b) a reference to a section is a reference to a section of this Act, unless it is indicated that reference to some other enactment is intended,
(c) a reference to a subsection, paragraph or subparagraph is a reference to the subsection, paragraph or subparagraph of the provision in which the reference occurs, unless it is indicated that reference to some other provision is intended.
num: 2
paragraphs: —(1) The land on the Island vested in the Commissioners upon the passing of this Act together with the land acquired by the Commissioners under this Act shall be known as An Blascaod MÃ³r National Historic Park (and is referred to in this Act as “the Park”).
(2) The Park shall be maintained, managed, controlled, preserved, protected and developed by the Commissioners for the use and benefit of the public as a park in which the historic heritage, culture, traditions and values of the Island and its inhabitants will be preserved and demonstrated and its flora, fauna and landscape will be protected.
(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (2), the Commissioners shall, in performing their functions under that subsection—
(a) foster and promote the use of the Park by the public as a place of culture, education, leisure and recreation,
(b) foster and promote the use of the Irish language, an awareness of and pride in the national heritage and the study of that heritage and the history, heritage, culture, folklore and values of the Island and its inhabitants,
(c) endeavour to preserve the traditional character of the Island,
(d) conserve such of the flora and fauna of the Island and its surrounding seas as they consider appropriate,
(e) introduce to the Park and protect and encourage the cultivation and breeding of such flora and fauna as they consider appropriate,
(f) conserve or restore and maintain such of the traditional dwellings and other buildings on the Island as they consider appropriate, and
(g) provide and maintain or arrange for the provision and maintenance (upon terms and conditions that may, if it is considered appropriate by the Commissioners, provide for the payment by them of a subsidy in respect of the service) of such a transport service (including piers, landing stages and other facilities) between the Island and the mainland as they consider appropriate for the purposes of the Park and of ensuring reasonable access to it, having regard to all the circumstances, by the public.
(4) The Commissioners shall have all such powers as they consider necessary or expedient for the purposes of the performance of their functions under this Act including, but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, power to reserve any part of the Park for any particular purpose, to construct and provide buildings and other facilities in the Park, and to lease or let, or license the use of, any part of the Park or any such buildings or facilities to any person for the purposes of the provision of services or facilities for the public by that person and, in relation to any such lease, letting or licence to exercise the powers conferred by paragraphs (f) to (h) of section 11 (2) of the State Property Act, 1954 , and to let any grazing in the Park.
num: 3
paragraphs: —(1) The Commissioners may, with the consent of the Minister and after consultation, in any case where the Commissioners consider such consultation appropriate, with the Foundation, make bye-laws for the care, maintenance, management, control, preservation, protection and development of the Park and the regulation of the use of the Park and the maintenance of good order therein.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), bye-laws under this section may make provision in relation to one or more of the following matters:
(a) the regulation of access to the Park and the prohibition of access thereto at specified places and at specified times,
(b) the prohibition of landing from the sea or air at specified places in or areas of the Park,
(c) the use of places in the Park for landing from the sea or air,
(d) the protection of and the prevention of damage or injury to flora, fauna and property in the Park,
(e) the prohibition of access to specified places in or areas of the Park,
(f) the regulation or prohibition of bathing from or fishing at specified places in the Park,
(g) the regulation or prohibition of the use of vehicles or specified vehicles in the Park,
(h) the fixing of fees and charges in respect of entry to the Park or any part thereof or any building or facility therein and the use of its facilities (including places therein for landing from the sea or air) and the use of transport services provided pursuant to section 2 (3) (g), and
(i) the enforcement of the bye-laws.
(3) Bye-laws under this section may contain all such incidental, subsidiary and ancillary provisions as the Commissioners consider necessary or expedient for the purposes of this section.
(4) A person who contravenes a bye-law under this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to both.
(5) Fees or charges received by the Commissioners or the Foundation in pursuance of bye-laws under this section and any other income received by the Commissioners or the Foundation in the performance of functions under this Act shall be disposed of by the Commissioners or the Foundation, as the case may be, for the purposes of those functions in such manner as the Minister may direct.
(6) Where an offence under this section is committed by a body corporate and is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of, or to be attributable to any neglect on the part of, any person, being a director, manager, secretary or other officer of the body corporate, or a person who was purporting to act in any such capacity, that person as well as the body corporate shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished as if he were guilty of the first-mentioned offence.
(7) Proceedings for an offence under this section may be brought and prosecuted by the Commissioners.
(8) As soon as may be after the making of a bye-law under this section, copies of it shall be displayed in the Park so as to be seen and be capable of being read by the persons using the Park.
(9) A bye-law under this section shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made.
num: 4
paragraphs: —(1) Subject to subsection (2), the Commissioners may, for the purposes of this Act, acquire, by agreement or compulsorily, any land situated on the Island.
(2) (a) The power conferred on the Commissioners by subsection (1) to acquire land compulsorily does not apply to—
(i) land that is owned or occupied by a person who has owned or occupied it since the 17th day of November, 1953, and was ordinarily resident on the Island before that date, or
(ii) land that is owned or occupied by a relative of a person, where that person owned or occupied it and was ordinarily resident on the Island before that date.
(b) In subparagraphs (i) and (ii) of paragraph (a) “land” does not include—
(i) the area of land comprising 1,060 acres or thereabouts whereof upon the passing of this Act the Commissioners stand registered under the Registration of Title Act, 1964 , as full owner of one undivided twenty-fifth part, or
(ii) land that is subject to rights in common of grazing or turbary, or
(iii) land the owner or occupier of which cannot be ascertained by the Commissioners by reasonable inquiries, or
(iv) land required for the purpose of the construction, maintenance, inspection, repair, extension or improvement of, or of access to, any piers, landing stages or other facilities of a transport service provided under section 2 .
num: 5
paragraphs: —(1) The functions of the Commissioners under this Act shall be performed by them subject to the general superintendence and control of the Minister.
num: 6
paragraphs: —(1) Subject to section 2 (4), sections 10 and 11 of the State Property Act, 1954 , shall not apply to land that is vested in the Commissioners as part of the Park.
(2) Land on the Island transferred to the Commissioners under that Act shall form part of the Park.
num: 7
paragraphs: —(1) The Commissioners may accept gifts of money, land or other property upon such trusts or conditions, if any, as may be specified by the donor and any land on the Island so accepted shall form part of the Park.
(2) The Commissioners shall not accept a gift if the conditions attached to it would be inconsistent with their functions under this Act.
num: 8
paragraphs: —(1) If a member of the Garda SÃ­ochÃ¡na or an authorised person reasonably suspects that a person has contravened a bye-law under section 3 , the member or authorised person may do both or either of the following:
(a) require the person to furnish to him his name and address,
(b) require the person to leave the Park.
(2) If such a person as aforesaid fails or refuses to comply with a requirement under subsection (1) or gives to a member of the Garda SÃ­ochÃ¡na or an authorised person a name or address that the member or the authorised person reasonably suspects to be false or misleading, the member or the authorised person may arrest the person without warrant or, if the requirement is under paragraph (b) of subsection (1), remove the person from the Park.
(3) A person who fails or refuses to comply with a requirement under subsection (1) or, in pursuance of such a requirement, gives a name or address that is false or misleading or, having left the Park in pursuance of such a requirement or having been removed from the Park under subsection (2), returns to it on the same day, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £500.
(4) This section is without prejudice to any other powers of members of the Garda SÃ­ochÃ¡na.
(5) The Commissioners may appoint in writing a person to be an authorised person for the purposes of this section.
(6) When exercising a function under this section, an authorised person shall, if so requested by any person concerned, produce to him a copy of his appointment as an authorised person.
num: 9
paragraphs: —The expenses incurred by the Minister or the Commissioners in the administration of this Act shall, to such extent as may be sanctioned by the Minister for Finance, be paid out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas.
num: 10
paragraphs: —This Act may be cited as An Blascaod MÃ³r National Historic Park Act, 1989.