No. 27/1977:

MINISTERS AND SECRETARIES (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1977

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

1 Appointed day.

2 The Department of Economic Planning and Development.

3 Short title, construction and citation.

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT AND FOR THAT PURPOSE TO AMEND THE MINISTERS AND SECRETARIES ACTS, 1924 TO 1973.

[6th December, 1977]

BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:

1.—The Government may by order appoint a day to be the appointed day for the purposes of this Act.

2.—(1) On the appointed day a Department of State to be styled and known as An Roinn Pleanála agus Forbartha Eacnamaíochta or (in English) the Department of Economic Planning and Development shall stand established.

(2) It shall be the function of the Department of Economic Planning and Development—

( a ) to promote and co-ordinate economic and social planning for the development of the economy both generally and as respects different sectors thereof and different regions of the country,

( b ) to identify the policies it considers necessary for general economic and social development and to report thereon to the Government,

( c ) to identify in consultation with Departments of State and to review and appraise the plans and activities of such Departments giving effect to the policies for general economic and social development adopted by the Government,

( d ) to make proposals to the Government for the co-ordination of the plans and activities referred to in paragraph (c) of this subsection and for their integration with national economic and social plans and

( e ) to review the implementation of such national economic and social plans as may be approved of by the Government from time to time and to report thereon to the Government.

(3) The member of the Government who is in charge of the Department of Economic Planning and Development shall be styled and known as An tAire Pleanála agus Forbartha Eacnamaíochta or (in English) the Minister for Economic Planning and Development.

(4) The Ministers and Secretaries Acts, 1924 to 1973, and the Documentary Evidence Act, 1925 , shall apply to the Department of Economic Planning and Development and the member of the Government who is in charge thereof as if that Department had been established by section 1 of the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924 .

(5) For the purposes of section 6 (1) of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1939 , the Department of Economic Planning and Development and the office of Minister for Economic Planning and Development shall be deemed to have been established immediately upon the passing of this Act, but any order which is made, in relation to that Department or that Minister, under the said section 6 (1) before the appointed day shall not be expressed to come into operation on a date earlier than the appointed day.

3.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1977 .

(2) This Act shall be construed as one with the Ministers and Secretaries Acts, 1924 to 1973, and this Act and those Acts may be cited together as the Ministers and Secretaries Acts, 1924 to 1977.

ACTS REFERRED TO