DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH.

To the Town Commissioners of the several Towns, the names of which are set out in the Schedule to this Order; and to all whom it may concern:

WHEREAS by Section 2 of the Public Health and Local Government Conferences Act, 1885 (hereinafter referred to as the Principal Act), as adapted by the Adaptation of Enactments Act, 1922 , and the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924 , it is enacted in effect that any local authority may when empowered by and subject to any regulations made by the Minister for Local Government and Public Health (which regulations the said Minister is thereby authorised from time to time to make, vary or rescind), pay the reasonable expenses of any member or members or clerk to the local authority attending any conference or meeting of local authorities held for the purpose of discussing any matter which is connected with the duties which devolve on them, and any reasonable expenses incurred in purchasing reports of the proceedings of any such meeting or conference:

AND WHEREAS by Section 23 of the Public Health (Ireland) Act, 1896, it is enacted that the expression "clerk to the local authority" in the Principal Act shall include any executive sanitary officer, borough surveyor, or engineer or other officer duly appointed by the local authority to attend conferences or meetings under the Principal Act:

AND WHEREAS by section 59 of the Local Government Act, 1925 , it is enacted in effect that the Principal Act shall be construed and have effect as if the expression "local authority" in the Principal Act had the same meaning as in the first-mentioned Act; and that the amount of any expenses incurred under the Principal Act by any local authority other than a sanitary authority shall be paid and charged as part of the general expenses of such local authority in the performance of its duties:

AND WHEREAS by section 1 of the Local Government Act, 1925 , it is enacted that the expression "local authority" in that Act includes the Commissioners of any town:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, the Minister for Local Government and Public Health, in exercise of the powers vested in me in that behalf do hereby order and direct as follows in reference to the town commissioners of the towns, the names of which are set out in the Schedule to this Order, that is to say:--

Article I. In this Order the expression "town commissioners" means the town commissioners of each of the towns the names of which are set out in the Schedule to the Order; the expression "clerk" includes any engineer or other officer duly appointed by the town commissioners to attend conferences or meetings under the Principal Act:

Article II. I hereby empower the town commissioners to pay a reasonable contribution towards expenses incurred by any member or members or by the clerk in attending any such conference or meeting as is mentioned in section 2 of the Principal Act, and any reasonable expenses incurred in purchasing reports of the proceedings of any such conference or meeting, subject to the following regulations:--

(1) A contribution towards expenses incurred in attending a conference or meeting shall only be paid in respect of attendance at a central conference or meeting open to representatives of the town commissioners; and in respect of not more than two such conferences or meetings in any local financial year:

(2) The attendance at any conference or meeting of a member or members of, or of the clerk to the town commissioners shall be expressly authorised by a resolution passed at a meeting of the town commissioners, a written or printed notice that the proposal is to be considered at that meeting having been sent, by post or otherwise, to each member of the town commissioners concerned not less than four days prior to the date of such meeting; and where the attendance of more than one member is authorised, the number of members who may be authorised to attend shall be specified in the resolution.

(3) The maximum number of members who may be authorised to attend any conference or meeting shall be:--

(a) one, if, in addition, the clerk is authorised to attend; or

(b) two, if the clerk is not authorised to attend.

(4) The number of copies which may be purchased by the town commissioners of the report of a central conference or meeting, shall be such as the town commissioners may, by resolution determine.

Article III. This Order may be referred to as "the Local Conferences (Town Commissioners) Order, 1926".

GIVEN under my Seal of Office, this Thirteenth day of May, in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Nine Hundred and Twenty-six.

(Signed) SÉAMUS DE BÚRCA,

Minister for Local Government and Public Health.

SCHEDULE.