Veterinary surgeons act, 1931

• Enactment Date: 01 August 1931
• Act Number: 36

Number 36 of 1931.
VETERINARY SURGEONS ACT, 1931.
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Section 1. Definitions. 2. Confirmation of agreement and consequential amendments of the law. 3. Constitution of the Veterinary Council. 4. Nominated members of the Council. 5. Preliminary and final establishments of the Council. 6. Expiration of terms of office of nominated members of the Council. 7. Elected members of the Council. 8. Times for elections of elected members of the Council. 9. Conduct of elections of elected members of the Council. 10. Terms of office of elected members of the Council. 11. Casual vacancies amongst elected members of the Council. 12. Irish Free State representatives. 13. The first meeting of the Council. 14. President of the Council. 15. Meetings and procedure of the Council. 16. Officers and servants of the Council. 17. The duties of the registrar. 18. Accounts of the Council and the audit thereof. 19. Payment to members of the Council of their expenses. 20. Grant to and expenses of the Council. 21. Expenses of the Minister. 22. Making of regulations by the Council. 23. Exercise by the Minister of the functions of the Council. 24. The establishment of the register. 25. Correction of the register. 26. Notification by registrar of death of registered person. 27. Registration fees. 28. Annual fees. 29. Payment of fees to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. 30. Persons entitled to be registered at the establishment of the register. 31. Persons entitled to be registered after the establishment of the register. 32. Foreign practitioners. 33. Entry in register of additional qualifications. 34. Erasure from the register of persons convicted of crimes. 35. Inquiries into allegations of professional misconduct. 36. Erasure from the register on account of professional misconduct. 37. Restoration to the register of name erased for professional misconduct. 38. Notice of erasure, refusal to register, etc. 39. Appeal to the High Court. 40. Inquiry by Council into allegation of disgraceful conduct. 41. The Veterinary Register. 42. Notification by Council to Ministers of removal of names from the register. 43. Offences and penalties in relation to the register. 44. Descriptions of registered persons. 45. Prohibition of recovery of fees by unregistered persons. 46. Prohibition of practice of veterinary surgery or medicine by unregistered persons. 47. Prohibition of practice of veterinary surgery or medicine by corporate bodies. 48. Prosecution of offences. 49. Short title.
FIRST SCHEDULE.
SECOND SCHEDULE.
Number 36 of 1931.
VETERINARY SURGEONS ACT, 1931.
AN ACT TO MAKE PROVISION FOR THE REGISTRATION AND CONTROL OF VETERINARY SURGEONS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES RELATING TO THE PRACTICE OF VETERINARY SURGERY AND VETERINARY MEDICINE AND THE PERSONS ENGAGED IN SUCH PRACTICE. [1st August, 1931.]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS OF SAORSTÁT EIREANN AS FOLLOWS:—
	Definitions.	1.—In this Act—
	the expression “the Minister” means the Minister for Agriculture;
	the expression “the Council” means the Veterinary Council constituted by this Act;
	the expression “the register” means the Register of Veterinary Surgeons for Saorstát Eireann to be established and maintained under this Act;
	the expression “the general veterinary register” means the register of veterinary surgeons maintained by the Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in pursuance of the charters and statutes governing that College;
	the expression “registered veterinary surgeon” in relation to anything done or to be done or an event happening before the establishment of the register means a person registered in the general veterinary register and in relation to anything done or to be done or an event happening after the establishment of the register means a person registered in the register;
	the word “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Council.
	Confirmation of agreement and consequential amendments of the law.	2.—(1) The Agreement set forth in the First Schedule to this Act is hereby confirmed and shall take effect on whichever of the following dates is the later, that is to say, the date of the passing of this Act and the date of the passing into law by the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland of legislation to give statutory effect to the said Agreement.
	(2) For the purpose of enabling the said Agreement to have statutory effect in Saorstát Eireann it is hereby enacted that—
	(a) the said Agreement, in so far as the terms thereof are inconsistent with the Veterinary Surgeons Acts, shall be deemed to amend or modify to that extent those Acts, and those Acts are hereby amended and modified accordingly;
	(b) the Veterinary Surgeons Acts as so amended or modified shall be and continue in force in Saorstát Eireann so far as is so provided by the said Agreement or is necessary to enable the said Agreement to have full force and effect in Saorstát Eireann;
	(c) save as is otherwise enacted in the foregoing paragraph the Veterinary Surgeons Acts shall cease to have effect on the date of the passing of this Act
	(3) In this section the expression “the Veterinary Surgeons Acts” means the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1881, the Veterinary Surgeons Amendment Act, 1900, and the Veterinary Surgeons Act (1881) Amendment Act, 1920.
	Constitution of the Veterinary Council.	3.—(1) A Council to be styled the Veterinary Council (in this Act referred to as the Council) shall be established in accordance with this Act to fulfil the functions assigned to it by this Act.
	(2) The Council shall be a body corporate having perpetual succession and may provide itself with a seal and may sue and be sued under its said style and name.
	(3) The Council shall consist of eight members who shall in the first instance be nominated and subsequently be elected by the persons and in the manner provided in this Act.
	Nominated members of the Council.	4.—(1) As soon as may be after the passing of this Act, the Executive Council on the request of the Minister shall nominate eight registered veterinary surgeons resident in the Irish Free State to be members of the Council (in this Act referred to as nominated members) and shall appoint the order of seniority of such members amongst themselves for the purposes of the provisions of this Act relating to the expiration of the terms of office of such members.
	(2) Every nominated member of the Council shall, unless he sooner dies, resigns, or becomes disqualified, hold office until the date on which his term of office expires under this Act.
	(3) Whenever a nominated member of the Council dies, resigns, or becomes disqualified before the expiration of his term of office the Minister shall nominate a registered veterinary surgeon to be a nominated member of the Council in the place and with the seniority and for the residue of the term of office of the member who so died, resigned, or became disqualified.
	(4) If and whenever a nominated member of the Council ceases to be a registered veterinary surgeon or ceases to be resident in the Irish Free State he shall be disqualified for being and shall forthwith cease to be a member of the Council.
	(5) A nominated member of the Council may at any time resign his office as such member by letter addressed and sent to the Minister.
	Preliminary and final establishments of the Council.	5.—(1) The preliminary establishment of the Council shall take place by virtue of this section on the date on which the eight nominated members of the Council are nominated by the Executive Council in accordance with this Act, and references in this Act to the preliminary establishment of the Council as a point in time shall be construed as referring to that date.
	(2) The final establishment of the Council shall take place by virtue of this section on the 31st day of May next after the preliminary establishment of the Council unless such final establishment is postponed by the Minister under this section.
	(3) If the Minister is of opinion, on the representation of or after consultation with the Council, that it is not convenient that the final establishment of the Council should take place on the 31st day of May next after the preliminary establishment of the Council, the Minister may by order postpone the final establishment of the Council to the 31st day of May next after the above-mentioned 31st day of May, and if such order is so made the final establishment of the Council shall take place by virtue of this section on the 31st day of May to which such final establishment is postponed by such order.
	(4) References in this Act to the final establishment of the Council as a point in time shall be construed as referring to the 31st day of May on which such final establishment takes place under the foregoing provisions of this section.
	(5) Every order made by the Minister under this section shall be published in the Iris Oifigiúil.
	Expiration of terms of office of nominated members of the Council.	6.—(1) The terms of office of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth, in order of seniority of the nominated members of the Council shall expire at the final establishment of the Council.
	(2) The several terms of office of the sixth, seventh and eighth in order of seniority of the nominated members of the Council shall expire respectively on the...