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Limitations on periods of continuous driving.
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114.—(1) Each of the following periods or series of periods of driving shall be an excessive period for the purposes of this section:
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(a) any continuous period of driving exceeding five and one-half hours;
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(b) any series of continuous periods of driving amounting in the aggregate to more than eleven hours in any period of twenty-four hours beginning two hours after midnight;
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(c) any period or series of periods of driving so arranged that the driver has not at least ten consecutive hours for rest in every period of twenty-four hours beginning at the commencement of any period of driving.
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(2) For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section—
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(a) Where a driver has at least nine consecutive hours for rest in a period of twenty-four hours beginning at the commencement of a period of driving, the period of at least nine consecutive hours shall be reckoned as a period of ten consecutive hours if the driver has at least twelve consecutive hours for rest in the twenty-four hours next after the expiration of the above-mentioned period of twenty-four hours;
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(b) any two consecutive periods of driving shall be regarded as one continuous period unless they are separated by an interval of not less than half-an-hour during which the driver can obtain rest and refreshment;
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(c) any time spent by the driver of a vehicle at work (other than driving) in relation to the vehicle or the load carried thereon, including in the case of a public service vehicle any time spent in any capacity (other than as driver or as a passenger) on the vehicle while on a journey, shall be reckoned as time spent in driving;
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(d) in the case of a vehicle which is being used for or in the course of any operation of agriculture or forestry, time spent driving or working on or in connection with the vehicle while it is not on a public road shall not be reckoned as time spent in driving.
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(3) A person shall not drive, or cause or permit any person employed by him or subject to his orders to drive, for an excessive period a mechanically propelled vehicle which either is a large public service vehicle or is intended or adapted solely for the drawing of another vehicle or is fitted with a body intended or adapted solely for the carriage of goods or two or more such vehicles successively.
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(4) (a) The Minister for Industry and Commerce may make regulations for enabling this section to have effect.
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(b) Regulations under this subsection may, in particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing paragraph, make provision in relation to all or any of the following matters:
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(i) the keeping of records in respect of persons engaged in driving vehicles to which this section applies;
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(ii) the form of the records;
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(iii) the persons by whom the records are to be kept;
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(iv) the production of the records to members of the Garda Síochána and specified officers of the Minister for Industry and Commerce;
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(v) the exhibition of specified notices in vehicles in relation to which this section applies.
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(5) Where a person contravenes subsection (3) of this section or a regulation under subsection (4) of this section which is stated to be a penal regulation, he shall be guilty of an offence.
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(6) Where a person is charged with an offence under this section consisting of driving, or causing or permitting driving, for an excessive period, it shall be a good defence to the charge for him to show that the act alleged to constitute the offence was due to delay in the completion of a journey and that the delay was unavoidable and was caused by circumstances which he could not reasonably have foreseen.
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(7) (a) The Minister for Industry and Commerce may by regulations vary or suspend in any manner any excessive period.
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(b) Regulations under this subsection shall not be made save—
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(i) where the Minister for Industry and Commerce is satisfied that bodies representative of the employers and employees concerned are in favour of the change to be effected by the regulations, and
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(ii) after consultation by that Minister with the Minister.
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(c) Different regulations may be made under this subsection—
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(i) in respect of different classes of vehicles,
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(ii) for different circumstances.
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(8) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any other section of this Act, this section shall not apply to or in respect of vehicles owned by the State and used for military or police purposes or to or in respect of persons in the public service of the State driving vehicles so owned and used.
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