Housing (Building Facilities) Act, 1924

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Power to limit prices of building materials.

8.—(1) The Minister may at any time if he thinks fit, order a local inquiry into the cost (including the wholesale and retail prices, the transport, handling and overhead charges, and the margin of profit) in Saorstát Eireann or any particular part or parts thereof of any materials or appliances used in the building of houses, and if he is satisfied, after the holding of such local inquiry, that the cost of such materials or appliances in that area is excessive and restrictive of output of building work, the Minister may by order prescribe the maximum amount of the wholesale price or of the retail price which may be charged for such materials or appliances in that area or the maximum amount of profit and of transport, handling and overhead charges which may be included in the wholesale or the retail price charged for such materials or appliances in that area, and may at any time and from time to time by order continue, vary or revoke all or any prices or amounts prescribed by him or on appeal from him under this section.

(2) Any person aggrieved by an order made by the Minister under this section may appeal from such order in the manner provided by this Act.

(3) If any person charges in any area to which an order under this section applies a price for any material or appliance to which the order applies in excess of the price which may lawfully be charged under the same order, he shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding £50, and where the person guilty of such offence is a company, the chairman, managing director and every other director and manager of the company shall be guilty of the like offence unless he proves that the act constituting the offence took place without his consent or connivance.

(4) Article 32 of the Schedule to the Local Government (Application of Enactments) Order, 1898, shall apply to every local inquiry held under this section.

(5) Neither this section nor any order made thereunder shall continue in operation after the expiration of eighteen months from the passing of this Act:

Provided that this section shall not apply to the price of any material or appliance which is the subject of a contract bona fide entered into at least one month prior to the date of the local enquiry, of which a copy has been supplied to the Minister within a fortnight from the date of the passing of this Act or within a fortnight from the date upon which such contract has been made.