Housing (Financial and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1932

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Power to limit prices of building materials and appliances.

17.—(1) The Minister for Industry and Commerce may at any time if he thinks fit, on the application of the Minister, hold or cause to be held a public 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 public inquiry that the cost of such materials or appliances in that area is excessive and restrictive of output of building work, the Minister for Industry and Commerce 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 under this section.

(2) 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 section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds, 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.

(3) This section shall not apply to the price of any material or appliance which is the subject of a contract which was bona fide entered into (whether before or after the passing of this Act) at least one month before the date of the public inquiry and of which a copy was supplied to the Minister for Industry and Commerce within one fortnight after the date of the passing of this Act or the date upon which such contract was made whichever is the later.

(4) Whenever the Minister for Industry and Commerce holds or causes to be held a public inquiry for the purposes of this section the person appointed by such Minister to hold such inquiry shall have power to take evidence on oath and for that purpose to administer oaths, and may also by order require any person, subject to the payment or tender of the reasonable expenses of his attendance, to attend as a witness and give evidence or to produce documents at such inquiry, and if any person fails without reasonable cause or excuse to comply with any such order he shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds.