Health Act, 1953

Boarding out etc., of children.

55.—(1) A health authority may provide, in accordance with regulations, for the assistance of a child to whom this subsection applies in any of the following ways (whether in or outside their functional area), that is to say, by boarding the child out, or by sending him to a school approved of by the Minister, or, where the child is not less than fourteen years of age, by arranging for his employment or by placing him in any suitable trade, calling, or business.

(2) Subsection (1) of this section applies to any child who is eligible for institutional assistance under section 54 of this Act and who is—

(a) a legitimate child whose father and mother are dead or who is deserted by his father and mother or (where one of them is dead) by the survivor, or

(b) an illegitimate child whose mother is dead or who is deserted by his mother.

(3) A health authority may, with the approval of the Minister, assist any person eligible for general assistance within the meaning of the Public Assistance Act, 1939 , by doing, with the consent of such person and in accordance with regulations, any of the following things in respect of any child whom such person is liable under the Public Assistance Act, 1939 , to maintain, that is to say, boarding the child out, or sending him to a school approved of by the Minister or, where the child is not less than fourteen years of age, placing him in any suitable trade, calling, or business.

(4) Where a health authority places under this section a child in a suitable trade, calling, or business, the authority may pay such fee or sum as may be requisite for that purpose and may support or contribute to the support of the child during any period (including, with the consent of the Minister, a period after attaining the age of sixteen years) during which he is engaged in learning the trade, calling, or business.

(5) Where a child boarded out or sent to a school pursuant to this section attains the age of sixteen years, the health authority may, with the consent of the Minister, arrange for the completion of the child's education and for his maintenance while completing his education.

(6) The Minister may make regulations for the purposes of this section.

(7) A child who, immediately before the commencement of this section, stood boarded out, sent to a school, placed at service or placed in a trade, calling, or business under section 48 of the Public Assistance Act, 1939 , shall be deemed (as may be appropriate) to be boarded out, sent to a school, placed in employment or placed in a trade, calling, or business by the appropriate health authority under this section.

(8) A school in respect of which, immediately before the commencement of this section, a certificate under section 47 of the Public Assistance Act, 1939 , was in force shall be deemed for the purposes of this section to be a school approved of by the Minister.

(9) Where a child becomes adopted under the Adoption Act, 1952 (No. 25 of 1952)—

(a) the child shall thereafter be treated for the purposes of this section as if he were the child of the adopter or adopters born to him, her or them in lawful wedlock and were not the child of any other person,

(b) if there is one adopter only, a reference to the father or mother shall, where appropriate, be substituted in subsection (2) of this section for any reference to the father and mother,

(c) where the child was, immediately before the adoption, boarded out by a health authority with the adopter or adopters, the health authority may, subject to such conditions as they think fit, contribute to the maintenance of the child as if he continued to be boarded out.