Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act, 1996
Acts of the Oireachtas
Source: Acts of the Oireachtas

num: 1
paragraphs: —(1) In this Act—
“agreement” means a collective agreement, an employment regulation order or a registered employment agreement;
“break” means the interval during which a child or young person may not be permitted under this Act to work;
“child” means a person who is under 16 years of age or the school-leaving age, whichever is the higher;
“collective agreement” means an agreement by or on behalf of an employer on the one hand, and by or on behalf of a trade union or trade unions representative of the employees to whom the agreement relates on the other hand;
“contract of employment” means—
(a) a contract of service or apprenticeship, and
(b) any other contract whereby an individual agrees with another person, who is carrying on the business of an employment agency within the meaning of the Employment Agency Act, 1971 , and is acting in the course of that business, to do or perform personally any work or service for a third person (whether or not the third person is party to the contract),
whether the contract is express or implied or if express, whether it is oral or in writing;
num: 2
paragraphs: —(1) The Minister may by order declare any form of work to be industrial work for the purposes of this Act.
(2) The Minister may by order amend or revoke an order under this section including an order under this subsection.
num: 3
paragraphs: —(1) Subject to this section and section 9 , an employer shall not employ a child to do work.
(2) The Minister may, by licence, authorise in individual cases, the employment of a child in cultural, artistic, sports or advertising activities which are not likely to be harmful to the safety, health or development of the child and which are not likely to interfere with the child's attendance at school, vocational guidance or training programmes or capacity to benefit from the instruction received.
(3) The Minister may, by regulations, authorise the employment of children over the age of 13 years in cultural, artistic, sports or advertising activities which are not harmful to the safety, health or development of children and which are not likely to interfere with their attendance at school, vocational guidance or training programmes or capacity to benefit from the instruction received.
(4) An employer may employ a child who is over the age of 14 years to do light work during any period outside the school term:
Provided that—
(a) the hours of work do not exceed 7 hours in any day or 35 hours in any week,
(b) the work is not harmful to the safety, health and development of the child, and
(c) during the period of the summer holidays, the child does not do any work for a period of at least 21 days.
(5) An employer may employ a child who is over the age of 15 years to do light work during school term time, provided that the hours of work do not exceed 8 hours in any week.
(6) Subject to subsection (7), an employer may employ a child who is over the age of 14 years and who is a full-time student at an institute of secondary education pursuant to any arrangements made or approved of by the Minister for Education as part of a programme of work experience or educational programme:
Provided that the hours of work do not exceed 8 hours in any day or 40 hours in any week.
(7) The Minister may, after consultation with the Minister for Education and such other interested parties as the Minister sees fit, by regulations, make exemptions from subsection (6) in relation to the hours of work of children participating in a work experience or training programme approved by the Minister for Education under subsection (6).
(8) An employer may employ a child over the age of 15 years to participate in a training or work experience programme pursuant to arrangements made or approved of by the Minister or FÃ?S — the Employment and Training Authority, provided that the hours of work do not exceed 8 hours in any day or 40 hours in any week.
(9) Whenever the Minister grants a licence under subsection (2) or makes regulations under subsection (3) or (7), the Minister may attach to such licence or provide in such regulations such conditions as the Minister sees fit.
(10) An employer may retain in his or her employment any child of 15 years of age who was in his or her employment immediately before the commencement of this section:
Provided that the hours of work do not exceed 7 hours in any day or 35 hours in any week.
(11) An employer who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence.
num: 4
paragraphs: —(1) An employer shall not employ any child on any work between 8 p.m. on any one day and 8 a.m. on the following day.
(2) Subject to subsection (3), an employer shall ensure that an employee who is a child receives a minimum rest period of 14 consecutive hours in each period of 24 hours.
(3) The minimum consecutive hours of rest in each period of 24 hours specified in subsection (2) may be interrupted by an employer in the case of a child employed on activities that do not extend beyond 2 hours in each day or are separated, exclusive of breaks, over the day, provided that, in each period of 24 hours, the child receives a minimum rest period of 14 hours.
(4) An employer shall ensure that an employee who is a child receives, in any period of 7 days, a minimum rest period of 2 days which shall as far as is practicable be consecutive.
(5) The minimum period of rest during each period of 7 days specified in subsection (4) may be interrupted by an employer in the case of a child employed on activities that do not extend beyond 2 hours in each day or are separated, exclusive of breaks, over the day, provided that, in each period of 7 days, the cumulative rest period is 2 days.
(6) The Minister may, by regulations, reduce the minimum period of rest specified in subsection (4) to 36 consecutive hours in respect of any class of employees or class of work where in the opinion of the Minister this is justified for technical or organisational reasons.
(7) Whenever the Minister makes regulations under subsection (6), the Minister may provide in such regulations such conditions as the Minister sees fit.
(8) An employer shall not permit a child employed by him or her to do for him or her any work for any period exceeding 4 hours without a break of at least 30 consecutive minutes.
(9) A child shall not be entitled to be paid in respect of the break specified in subsection (8).
(10) An employer who contravenes subsection (1), (2), (4) or (8) shall be guilty of an offence.
num: 5
paragraphs: —(1) Subject to section 9 , any employer who employs a young person or child to work for him or her shall—
(a) before employing the young person or child, require the production of a copy of the birth certificate of, or other satisfactory evidence of the age of, the young person or child, as the case may be,
(b) before employing a child, obtain the written permission of the parent or guardian of the child, and
(c) maintain a register, or other satisfactory record, containing, in relation to every young person or child employed by him or her, the following particulars—
(i) the full name of the young person or child,
(ii) the date of birth of the young person or child,
(iii) the time the young person or child commences work each day,
(iv) the time the young person or child finishes work each day,
(v) the rate of wages or salary paid to the young person or child for his or her normal working hours each day, week, month or year, as the case may be, and
(vi) the total amount paid to each young person or child by way of wages or salary.
(2) An employer who fails to comply with the provisions of this section and the parent or guardian of a young person or child who aids or abets an employer in the contravention of this section shall be guilty of an offence.
num: 6
paragraphs: —(1) An employer shall not employ a young person on any work except where, subject to this section and sections 7 , 8 and 9 , the employer—
(a) does not require or permit the young person to work for more than 8 hours in any day or 40 hours in any week,
(b) does not require or permit the young person to work—
(i) between 10 p.m. on any one day and 6 a.m. on the following day, or
(ii) between 11 p.m. on any one day (provided the day is not before a school day during a school term where such young person is attending school) and 7 a.m. on the following day, where the Minister is satisfied, following consultation with such representatives of employers and representatives of employees as the Minister considers appropriate, that there are exceptional circumstances affecting a particular branch of activity or a particular area of work as may be prescribed,
(c) ensures that the young person receives a minimum rest period of 12 consecutive hours in each period of 24 hours,
(d) ensures that the young person receives in any period of 7 days a minimum rest period of 2 days which shall, as far as is practicable, be consecutive, and
(e) does not require or permit the young person to do for him or her any work for any period exceeding 4 ½ hours without a break of at least 30 consecutive minutes.
(2) The minimum consecutive hours of rest in each period of 24 hours specified in subsection (1) (c) may be interrupted by an employer in the case of a young person employed on activities that do not extend beyond 2 hours in each day or are separated, exclusive of breaks, over the day provided that, in each period of 24 hours, the young person receives a minimum rest period of 12 hours.
(3) The minimum periods of rest during each period of 7 days specified in subsection (1) (d) may be interrupted by an employer in the case of a young person employed on activities that do not extend beyond 2 hours in each day or are separated, exclusive of breaks, over the day provided that, in each period of 7 days, the cumulative rest period is 2 days.
(4) The minimum periods of rest in each period of 24 hours and each period of 7 days specified in subsection (1) (c) and (d) shall not apply to a young person who is employed in the shipping or fishing sectors:
Provided that—
(a) there are objective grounds justifying the non-application of the provisions;
(b) such young persons receive appropriate compensatory rest times at some time during each period of 24 hours and each period of 7 days, and
(c) the trade union or representative of the young person is consulted.
(5) The limitations on hours of work and on night work specified in subsection (1) (a) and (b), and the minimum periods of rest specified in subsection (1) (c) and (d) shall not apply to young persons who are members of the Defence Forces when they are—
(a) on active service within the meaning of section 5 of the Defence Act, 1954 , or deemed to be on active service, within the meaning of section 4 (1) of the Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1960 ;
(b) engaged in action in the course of operational duties at sea;
(c) engaged in operations in aid of the civil power; or
(d) engaged in training directly associated with any of the aforesaid activities:
Provided that such young persons are allowed equivalent compensatory rest times within 3 weeks of having ceased to engage in the aforesaid activities.
(6) A young person shall not be entitled to be paid in respect of the break specified in subsection (1) (e).
(7) An employer who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence.
num: 7
paragraphs: —(1) The Minister may, by licence, permit an individual employer to employ young persons on terms specified in the licence in lieu of any of those referred to in section 6 (1) and may attach to the licence such conditions as the Minister sees fit:
Provided that the Minister is satisfied that—
(a) the terms of the licence are in compliance with the terms of the Directive,
(b) the health, welfare and safety of the employees affected will not be endangered, and
(c) compliance with one or more of the terms of section 6 (1) would be impractical due to the seasonal nature of the work or the technical or organisational requirements of the work or for other substantial reasons.
(2) Before granting a licence under subsection (1), the Minister shall consult such representatives of employers and representatives of employees as the Minister considers appropriate.
num: 8
paragraphs: —(1) The Minister may, by regulations, permit any group or category of employers to employ young persons on terms specified in the regulations in lieu of any of those referred to in section 6 (1) and may include in the regulations such conditions as the Minister sees fit:
Provided that the Minister is satisfied that—
(a) the terms of the regulations are in compliance with the terms of the Directive,
(b) the health, welfare and safety of the employees affected will not be endangered, and
(c) compliance with one or more of the terms of section 6 (1) would be impractical due to the seasonal nature of the work or the technical or organisational requirements of the work or for other substantial reasons.
(2) Before making regulations under subsection (1), the Minister shall—
(a) consult such representatives of employers and representatives of employees as the Minister considers appropriate, and
(b) publish in such manner as the Minister thinks fit notice of the Minister's intention to do so and give persons desiring to make representations in relation to the proposed regulations a period of 21 days to do so.
num: 9
paragraphs: —(1) Sections 3 , 5 , 6 , 10 and 11 shall apply to the employment of close relatives subject to any exclusion or modification of the application of any or all of those sections or any provisions thereof as may be prescribed:
Provided that the Minister is satisfied that—
(a) the regulations are in compliance with the terms of the Directive, and
(b) the health, welfare and safety of the employees affected will not be endangered.
(2) In this section “close relative” means an employee who is employed—
(a) by his or her spouse, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, stepfather, stepmother, brother, sister, half-brother or half-sister, and
(b) (i) in a private dwelling house or on a farm, in or on which both the employee and employer reside, or
(ii) in a family undertaking on work which is not industrial work.
num: 10
paragraphs: —(1) Subject to section 9 , an employer shall not permit an employee to do for him or her any form of work on any day on which the employee has done any form of work for any other employer, except where the aggregate of the periods for which the employee does work for such employers on that day does not exceed the period for which such employee could lawfully be employed to do work for one employer on that day.
(2) Whenever an employer employs an employee in contravention of this section, the employer shall be guilty of an offence and the employee, if he or she is a young person, shall also be guilty of an offence.
(3) The parent or guardian of an employee who aids or abets an employer in the contravention of this section shall be guilty of an offence.
(4) Whenever an employer is prosecuted for an offence under this section it shall be a defence for him or her to prove either that he or she did not know, or could not by reasonable enquiry have known, that the employee had done work for any other employer on the day in respect of which the prosecution is brought or that he or she did not know, or could not by reasonable enquiry have known, that the aggregate of the periods for which the employee did work on that day exceeded the period for which he or she could lawfully be employed to do work for one employer on that day.
num: 11
paragraphs: —Subject to section 9 , any time spent, with the consent of his or her employer, by an employee who is a young person working under a combined work/training scheme or an in-plant work experience scheme shall be deemed to be working time for the purposes of section 6 .
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paragraphs: —(1) Every employer shall display at the principal entrances to the premises where any of his or her employees work, and in such other places as an inspector may require, in such a position that it may be easily read by employees so employed, the prescribed abstract of this Act.
(2) An employer who fails to comply with the provisions of this section shall be guilty of an offence.
num: 13
paragraphs: —Where, in order to comply with the provisions of this Act, the hours of work prevailing immediately before the commencement of this Act in regard to all employees or any particular employee employed in any particular form of work are reduced or are otherwise altered, the following provisions shall have effect, that is to say—
(a) the rate of salary, wages or other reward payable to any such employee immediately before the commencement of this Act and the repeal of the Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act, 1977 , in regard to normal working hours (within the meaning of section 7 of that Act) shall not be reduced or be otherwise altered to the detriment of such employee merely because of the said reduction or alteration in the hours of work of such employee;
(b) the said reduction or alteration of hours shall not terminate or prejudicially affect the contract of service under which such employee is so employed immediately before the commencement of this Act, and every such contract shall continue in force after such commencement with such modifications only as may be necessary in order to comply with this Act;
(c) every agreement which is in force immediately before the commencement of this Act and regulates or restricts the rate of salary, wages or other reward payable to any such employee shall continue in force after such commencement notwithstanding the said reduction or alteration of hours of work but with the modification that every rate of salary, wages or other reward which is fixed by such agreement and every restriction on any rate of salary, wages or other reward contained in such agreement shall remain unchanged in amount;
(d) every minimum rate of salary, wage or other reward fixed by statute or under statutory authority which is in force immediately before the commencement of this Act shall, if and so far as it is applicable to any such employee, continue after such commencement in force and unchanged in amount notwithstanding the said reduction or alteration of hours of work.
num: 14
paragraphs: —(1) It shall be a defence to any proceedings taken against any employer for a breach of any of the provisions of this Act in relation to an employee who is a young person if such employer shows to the satisfaction of the court before which such proceedings are brought that any act occasioning such breach was rendered necessary or reasonably proper by the actual occurrence or the threat or reasonable anticipation of fire, flood, storm, violence, a breakdown of plant or machinery or any other emergency:
Provided that—
(a) the work is of a temporary nature and has to be performed immediately,
(b) adult workers are not available,
(c) the young person is allowed equivalent compensatory rest time within 3 weeks of the date of occurrence of the breach concerned, and
(d) the young person is paid at the rate of time plus a quarter for any time worked as a result of the emergency.
(2) A certificate signed by or on behalf of any Minister of the Government that an act done by or in relation to any young person employed by that Minister was rendered necessary by an emergency shall be evidence that such act was so rendered necessary.
num: 15
paragraphs: —(1) An employer shall keep, at the place where a young person or child is employed, such records as are necessary to show whether the provisions of this Act are being complied with in relation to his or her employees and such records shall be retained by the employer for at least 3 years.
(2) In any case where—
(a) there is a dispute between an employer and employee, or
(b) there is a prosecution for an offence under this Act,
and the records required to be kept by an employer under subsection (1) are not available, the onus of proving that the provisions of this Act have been complied with shall lie on the employer.
(3) An employer who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence.
num: 16
paragraphs: —(1) Any sum of money due to an employee from his or her employer under any provision of this Act shall be recoverable by the employee from his or her employer as a simple contract debt in a court of competent jurisdiction.
(2) Proceedings for the recovery of any sum due by an employer to an employee under any provision of this Act may be instituted and maintained on behalf of the employee by his or her trade union or parent or guardian.
(3) Whenever in a prosecution for an offence under this Act, it appears that a sum of money is due by an employer to an employee, and the employer is convicted of that offence, a court may, if it is satisfied that the employer is liable to pay to his or her employee a sum of money, order, in addition to any penalty which it may impose pursuant to this Act, that the employer pay any such sum of money to the employee.
num: 17
paragraphs: —An employer shall not penalise an employee for having in good faith opposed by lawful means an act which is unlawful under this Act.
num: 18
paragraphs: —(1) The parent or guardian of a child or young person may present a complaint to a rights commissioner that the employer of the child or young person has contravened section 13 or 17 in relation to the child or young person.
(2) Where a complaint under subsection (1) is made, the rights commissioner shall give the parties an opportunity to be heard by the commissioner and to present to the commissioner any evidence relevant to the complaint, shall give a recommendation in writing in relation to it and shall communicate the recommendation to the parties.
(3) A recommendation of a rights commissioner under subsection (2) shall do one or more of the following—
(a) declare that the complaint was or, as the case may be, was not well founded,
(b) order the employer to take a specific course of action,
(c) order the employer to pay to the employee compensation of such amount (if any) as is just and equitable having regard to all the circumstances,
and the references in the foregoing paragraphs to an employer shall be construed, in a case where ownership of the business of the employer changes after a contravention to which the complaint relates, as references to the person who, by virtue of the change, becomes entitled to such ownership.
(4) A rights commissioner shall not entertain a complaint under this section unless it is presented to him within the period of 6 months beginning on the date of the contravention to which the complaint relates or (in a case where the rights commissioner is satisfied that exceptional circumstances prevented the presentation of the complaint within the period aforesaid) such further period not exceeding 6 months as the rights commissioner considers reasonable.
(5) (a) A complaint shall be presented by giving notice thereof in writing to a rights commissioner and the notice shall contain such particulars and be in such form as may be specified from time to time by the Minister.
(b) A copy of a notice under paragraph (a) shall be given to the other party concerned by the rights commissioner concerned.
(6) Proceedings under this section before a rights commissioner shall be conducted otherwise than in public.
(7) A rights commissioner shall furnish the Tribunal with a copy of any recommendation given by the commissioner under subsection (2).
(8) The Minister may by regulations—
(a) provide for any matters relating to proceedings under this section that the Minister considers appropriate, and
(b) amend paragraph (c) of subsection (3) so as to vary the maximum amount of the compensation provided for in that paragraph, and this section shall have effect in accordance with the provisions of any regulations under this paragraph for the time being in force.
num: 19
paragraphs: —(1) A party concerned may appeal to the Tribunal from a recommendation of a rights commissioner under section 18 and, if the party does so, the Tribunal shall give the parties an opportunity to be heard by it and to present to it any evidence relevant to the appeal, shall make a determination in writing in relation to the appeal affirming, varying or setting aside the recommendation and shall communicate the determination to the parties.
(2) (a) Subject to any regulations made under subsection (3) (g), an appeal under this section shall be initiated by the party concerned giving, within 6 weeks of the date on which the recommendation to which it relates was communicated to the party, a notice in writing to the Tribunal containing such particulars (if any) as may be specified in regulations under subsection (3) and stating the intention of the party concerned to appeal against the recommendation.
(b) A copy of a notice under paragraph (a) shall be given by the Tribunal to the other party concerned as soon as may be after the receipt of the notice by the Tribunal.
(3) The Minister may by regulations provide for all or any of the following matters in relation to proceedings under this Act before the Tribunal and for anything consequential thereon or incidental or ancillary thereto—
(a) the procedure in relation to all matters concerning the initiation and the hearing by the Tribunal of appeals under this section,
(b) the times and places of hearings of such appeals,
(c) the representation of the parties to such appeals,
(d) the publication and notification of determinations of the Tribunal,
(e) the particulars to be contained in a notice under subsection (2),
(f) the award by the Tribunal of costs and expenses in relation to such appeals and the payment thereof,
(g) the extension by the Tribunal of the time for initiating such appeals.
(4) (a) The Minister may, at the request of the Tribunal, refer a question of law arising in proceedings before it to the High Court for determination by it and the determination of the High Court shall be final and conclusive.
(b) A party to proceedings before the Tribunal may appeal to the High Court from a determination of the Tribunal on a point of law and the determination of the High Court shall be final and conclusive.
(5) (a) The Tribunal shall, on the hearing of any matter referred to it under this section, have power to take evidence on oath and for that purpose may cause to be administered oaths to persons attending as witnesses at such hearing.
(b) Any person who, upon examination on oath authorised under this subsection, wilfully gives false evidence or wilfully swears anything which is false, being convicted thereof, shall be liable to the penalties for perjury.
(c) The Tribunal may, by giving notice in that behalf in writing to any person, require such person to attend at such time and place as is specified in the notice to give evidence in relation to any matter referred to the Tribunal under this section or to produce any documents in his or her possession, custody or control which relate to any such matter.
(d) A notice under paragraph (c) may be given either by delivering it to the person to whom it relates or by sending it by post in a prepaid registered letter addressed to such person at the address at which he or she ordinarily resides.
(e) A person to whom a notice under paragraph (c) has been given and who refuses or wilfully neglects to attend in accordance with the notice or having so attended, refuses to give evidence or refuses or wilfully fails to produce any document to which the notice relates shall be guilty of an offence.
(6) (a) Where a recommendation of a rights commissioner in relation to a complaint under this Act has not been carried out by the employer concerned in accordance with its terms, the time for bringing an appeal against the recommendation has expired and no such appeal has been brought, the employee concerned may bring the complaint before the Tribunal and the Tribunal shall, without hearing the employer concerned, other than in relation to the matters aforesaid or any evidence other than in relation to such matters, make a determination to the like effect as the recommendation.
(b) The bringing of a complaint before the Tribunal by virtue of this subsection shall be effected by giving to the Tribunal a notice in writing containing such particulars (if any) as may be specified in regulations made for the purposes of subsection (3).
num: 20
paragraphs: —(1) (a) If an employer fails to carry out in accordance with its terms a determination of the Tribunal in relation to a complaint under section 18 within 6 weeks from the date on which the determination is communicated to the parties, the District Court shall, on application to it in that behalf by—
(i) the parent or guardian of the child or young person concerned,
(ii) the trade union of the young person concerned, or
(iii) the Minister, if the Minister considers it appropriate to make the application having regard to all the circumstances,
without hearing the employer concerned, other than in relation to the matters aforesaid or any evidence other than in relation to such matters, make an order directing the employer to carry out the determination in accordance with its terms.
(b) In paragraph (a) the reference to a determination of the Tribunal is a reference to such a determination in relation to which, at the expiration of the time for bringing an appeal against it, no such appeal has been brought, or if such an appeal has been brought it has been abandoned and the reference to the date on which the determination is communicated to the parties shall, in a case where such an appeal is abandoned, be construed as a reference to the date of such abandonment.
(2) The District Court may, in an order under this section, if in all the circumstances it considers it appropriate to do so, where the order relates to the payment of compensation, direct the employer concerned to pay to the employee concerned interest on the compensation at the rate referred to in section 22 of the Courts Act, 1981 , in respect of the whole or any part of the period beginning 6 weeks after the date on which the determination of the Tribunal is communicated to the parties and ending on the date of the order.
(3) Proceedings under this section shall be heard by the judge assigned to the district court district in which the employer concerned ordinarily resides or carries on any profession, business or occupation.
num: 21
paragraphs: —A document purporting to be signed by the chairman or a vice-chairman of the Tribunal stating that—
(a) a person named in the document was, by a notice under paragraph (c) of section 19 (5) required to attend before the Tribunal on a day and at a time and place specified in the document, to give evidence or produce a document,
(b) a sitting of the Tribunal was held on that day and at that time and place, and
(c) the person did not attend before the Tribunal in pursuance of the notice or, as the case may be, having so attended, refused to give evidence or refused or failed to produce the document,
shall, in a prosecution of the person under paragraph (e) of that section, be evidence of the matters so stated without further proof.
num: 22
paragraphs: —(1) The Minister may appoint in writing such and so many persons as the Minister sees fit to be inspectors for the purposes of this Act.
(2) An inspector may for the purposes of this Act do all or any of the following things—
(a) subject to the provisions of this section, enter at all reasonable times any premises or place where he or she has reasonable grounds for supposing that any employee is employed in work,
(b) make such examination or enquiry as may be necessary for ascertaining whether the provisions of this Act are complied with in respect of any employee employed in any such premises or place,
(c) require the employer of any employee or the representative of such employer to produce to him or her any records which such employer is required to keep and inspect and take copies of entries in such records (including in thecase of information in a non-legible form a copy of or an extract from such information in a permanent legible form),
(d) require any person whom he or she has reasonable cause to believe to be or to have been an employee or the employer of any employee to furnish such information as the inspector may reasonably request,
(e) examine with regard to any matters under this Act any person whom he or she has reasonable cause to believe to be or to have been an employer or employee and require him or her to answer such questions (other than questions tending to incriminate him or her) as the inspector may put relative to those matters and to sign a declaration of the truth of the answers.
(3) An inspector shall not, other than with the consent of the occupier, enter a private dwelling (other than a part of the dwelling used as a place of work) unless he or she has obtained a warrant from the District Court under subsection (6) authorising such entry.
(4) Where an inspector in the exercise of his or her powers under this section is prevented from entering any premises an application may be made under subsection (6) authorising such entry.
(5) An inspector appointed under this section, where he or she considers it necessary, may be accompanied by a member of the Garda SÃ­ochÃ¡na when performing any powers conferred on an inspector by this Act.
(6) If a judge of the District Court is satisfied on the sworn information of an inspector that there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that there is information required by an inspector under this section held on any premises or any part of any premises, the judge may issue a warrant authorising an inspector accompanied by other inspectors or a member of the Garda SÃ­ochÃ¡na, at any time or times within one month from the date of issue of the warrant, on production, if so requested, of the warrant, to enter the premises (if need be by reasonable force) and exercise all or any of the powers conferred on an inspector under subsection (2).
(7) A person who—
(a) obstructs or impedes an inspector in the exercise of any of the powers conferred on an inspector under this section,
(b) refuses to produce any record which an inspector lawfully requires him or her to produce,
(c) produces or causes to be produced or knowingly allows to be produced, to an inspector, any record which is false in any material respect knowing it to be false,
(d) gives to an inspector any information which is false or misleading, or
(e) wilfully fails or refuses to comply with any lawful requirement of an inspector under subsection (2),
shall be guilty of an offence.
(8) Every inspector shall be furnished by the Minister with a certificate of his or her appointment and, on applying for admission to any premises or place for the purposes of this Act, shall, if requested by a person affected, produce the certificate or a copy thereof to that person.
num: 23
paragraphs: —(1) Where an offence under this Act is committed by a body corporate or by a person acting on behalf of a body corporate and is proved to have been so committed with the consent, connivance or approval of, or to have been facilitated by any neglect on the part of any director, manager, secretary or any other officer of such body or a person who was purporting to act in any such capacity, such person shall also be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished as if he or she were guilty of the first-mentioned offence.
(2) Any summons or other document required to be served for the purpose or in the course of proceedings on a body corporate may be served by leaving it at or sending it by post to the registered office of that body or, if there is in the State no such office, by leaving it at or sending it by post to that body at any place in the State at which it conducts its business.
num: 24
paragraphs: —(1) An offence under this Act may be prosecuted summarily by the Minister.
(2) An offence, other than an offence under section 19 or 22 , may be prosecuted summarily by the trade union of which the employee is a member.
(3) Notwithstanding section 10 (4) of the Petty Sessions (Ireland) Act, 1851 , summary proceedings for an offence under this Act may be instituted within 12 months from the date of the offence.
num: 25
paragraphs: —(1) A person guilty of an offence under this Act shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £1,500.
(2) Where a person after conviction for an offence under this Act continues to contravene the provision concerned, the person shall be guilty of an offence on every day on which the contravention continues and for each such offence shall be liable to a fine on summary conviction not exceeding £250.
num: 26
paragraphs: —The enactments specified in column (2) of the Second Schedule are hereby repealed to the extent specified in column (3) of that Schedule.
num: 27
paragraphs: —The expenses incurred by the Minister in the administration of this Act shall, to such extent as may be sanctioned by the Minister for Finance, be paid out of monies provided by the Oireachtas.
num: 28
paragraphs: —(1) The Minister may make regulations for prescribing any matter referred to in this Act as prescribed.
(2) A draft of every order proposed to be made under section 2 and of every regulation proposed to be made under this Act shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas and the order or regulation, as the case may be, shall not be made until a resolution approving of the draft has been passed by each such House.
num: 29
paragraphs: —(1) This Act may be cited as the Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act, 1996.
(2) This Act shall come into operation on such day as the Minister may appoint by order.