No. 255/1947:

FUEL (RATIONING FOR AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, 1947) ORDER, 1947.

FUEL (RATIONING FOR AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, 1947) ORDER, 1947.

I, SEÁN F. LEMASS, Minister for Industry and Commerce, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by Article 31 of the Emergency Powers Order, 1939 (S. R. & O. No. 224 of 1939), as amended by the Emergency Powers (No. 173) Order, 1942 (S. R. & O. No. 166 of 1942) (which Orders are continued in force by the Supplies and Services (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1946 (No. 22 of 1946)), and of every and any other power me in this behalf enabling, hereby order as follows :—

1. This Order may be cited as the Fuel (Rationing for August and September, 1947) Order, 1947.

2. In this Order—

the expression " the Control of Fuel Order " means the Emergency Powers (Control of Fuel) Order, 1941 (S. R. & O. No. 411 of 1941), as amended by any subsequent order ;

the expressions " the Minister ", " coal ", " turf ", " fuel merchant ", " premises ", " the scheduled area ", and " domestic use ", have the same meanings respectively as they have in the Control of Fuel Order ;

the word " firewood " means wood of any description whatsoever with the exception of wood not exceeding eight inches in length and one inch in diameter suitable for use for kindling purposes, but it shall be a good defence, in a prosecution for an offence consisting of a contravention of any provision of this Order relating to firewood, to show that the wood in question was not intended for use by burning ;

the expression " the firewood area " has the same meaning as it has in the Emergency Powers (Control of Fuel) Order, 1941 (Tenth Amendment) Order, 1947 ;

the expression " the ration period " means the months of August and September, 1947.

3. (1) The occupier of any premises shall not purchase any coal during the ration period for domestic use.

(2) Where the occupier of any premises situate neither in the scheduled area nor the firewood area purchases turf during the ration period for domestic use, he shall not so purchase a quantity of turf exceeding one-half of a ton in weight.

(3) Where the occupier of any premises situate in the firewood area purchases turf, or firewood, or turf and firewood during the ration period for domestic use, he shall not—

(a) in the case of purchase of turf only—so purchase a quantity of turf exceeding one-half of a ton in weight ;

(b) in the case of purchase of firewood only—so purchase a quantity of firewood exceeding one-half of a ton in weight ;

(c) in the case of purchase of turf and firewood—so purchase a quantity of turf and firewood together exceeding one-half of a ton in weight.

(4) A fuel merchant shall not deliver on sale coal (being coal which the merchant has reasonable grounds for believing is intended for domestic use) during the ration period to the occupier of any premises.

(5) Where a fuel merchant delivers on sale turf (being turf which the merchant has reasonable grounds for believing is intended for domestic use) during the ration period to the occupier of any premises situate neither in the scheduled area nor the firewood area, he shall not so deliver a quantity of such turf exceeding one-half of a ton in weight.

(6) Where a fuel merchant delivers on sale turf, or firewood, or turf and firewood (being turf, or firewood, or turf and firewood which the merchant has reasonable grounds for believing is intended for domestic use) during the ration period to the occupier of any premises situate in the firewood area, he shall not—

(a) in the case of delivery of turf only—so deliver a quantity of such turf exceeding one-half of a ton in weight ;

(b) in the case of delivery of firewood only—so deliver a quantity of such firewood exceeding one-half of a ton in weight ;

(c) in the case of delivery of turf and firewood—so deliver a quantity of such turf and firewood together exceeding one-half of a ton in weight.

4. Notwithstanding Article 3 of this Order, where fuel is purchased during the ration period under and in accordance with a permit issued by the Minister under the Control of Fuel Order, the fuel shall not be reckoned in applying that Article either to the purchaser of the fuel or the vendor thereof.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 28th day of July, 1947.

(Signed) SEÁN F. LEMASS,

Minister for Industry and Commerce.