Public Health (Ireland) Act, 1878

Power of entry of sanitary authority.

118. The sanitary authority, or any of their officers, shall be admitted into any premises for the purpose of examining as to the existence of any nuisance thereon, or of enforcing the provisions of any Act in force within the district requiring fire-places and furnaces to consume their own smoke, at any time between the hours of nine in the forenoon and six in the afternoon, or in the case of a nuisance arising in respect of any business, then at any hour when such business is in progress or is usually carried on.

Where under this Act a nuisance has been ascertained to exist, or an order of abatement or prohibition has been made, the sanitary authority, or any of their officers, shall be admitted from time to time into the premises between the hours aforesaid, until the nuisance is abated, or the works ordered to be done are completed, as the case may be.

Where an order of abatement or prohibition has not been complied with, or has been infringed, the sanitary authority, or any of their officers, shall be admitted from time to time at all reasonable hours, or at all hours during which business is in progress or is usually carried on, into the premises where the nuisance exists, in order to abate the same.

If admission to premises for any of the purposes of this section is refused, any justice, on complaint thereof on oath by any officer of the sanitary authority (made after reasonable notice in writing of the intention to make the same has been given to the person having custody of the premises), may, by order under his hand, require the person having custody of the premises to admit the sanitary authority, or their officer, into the premises during the hours aforesaid, and if no person having custody of the premises can be found, the justice shall, on oath made before him of that fact, by order under his hand, authorise the sanitary authority, or any of their officers, to enter such premises during the hours aforesaid.

Any order made by a justice for admission of the sanitary authority, or any of their officers, on premises shall continue in force until the nuisance has been abated, or the work for which the entry was necessary has been done.