National Archives Act, 1986

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Interpretation.

1.—(1) In this Act—

“archives” has the meaning assigned to it by section 2 ;

“the Council” means the National Archives Advisory Council established under section 20 ;

“Departmental records” has the meaning assigned to it by section 2 ;

“the Director” has the meaning assigned to it by section 5 ;

“functions” includes powers and duties, and the reference to the performance of functions includes, as respects powers and duties, a reference to the exercise of powers and the carrying out of duties;

“local authority” means any body which is—

(a) the council of a county,

(b) the corporation of a county borough,

(c) the corporation of a borough other than a county borough,

(d) the council of an urban district,

(e) the commissioners of a town, or

(f) a joint board or committee established by or under a statute to execute functions belonging to two or more of the bodies referred to in paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e);

“the National Archives” means the body established by section 3 ;

“public service organisation” means a local authority, a health board or a body established by or under statute and financed wholly or partly by grants or loans made by a member of the Government or by the issue of shares taken up by a member of the Government.

(2) (a) In this subsection “a scheduled body” means a body, institution, office, commission or committee referred to in the Schedule to this Act.

(b) In this Act (other than in paragraph (c)), references to a Department of State include, where appropriate, references to a court and also include references to a scheduled body, and the definition of “Departmental records” in section 2 (2) shall be construed accordingly.

(c) In this Act, except in subsection (1) and section 2 , any reference to a member of the Government shall be construed, as appropriate,—

(i) in relation to the Office of the Secretary to the President, the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General or the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, as a reference to the President, the Attorney General, the Comptroller and Auditor General or the Director of Public Prosecutions,

(ii) in relation to a court, as a reference to the Minister for Justice, and

(iii) in relation to a Department of State or a scheduled body (other than an office specified in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph), as a reference to the member of the Government having responsibility for that Department or scheduled body.

(d) The Taoiseach, after consultation with the Director and the Council, may by order amend the Schedule to this Act.

(e) Where an order under this subsection is proposed to be made, a draft of the order shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas and the order shall not be made until a resolution approving the draft has been passed by each such House.

(3) A reference in this Act to an officer of a Department of State authorised for the purpose of a particular section or for a particular purpose shall be construed as a reference to an officer of that Department belonging to such class, grade or rank as is specified in regulations made by the Taoiseach.

(4) In this Act a reference to a section is to a section of this Act, unless it is indicated that reference to some other enactment is intended.

(5) In this Act a reference to a subsection or paragraph is to the subsection or paragraph is to the subsection or paragraph of the provision in which the reference occurs, unless it is indicated that reference to some other provision is intended.