Greyhound industry act, 1958

• Act Number: 12
• Enactment Date: 28 May 1958

Number 12 of 1958.
GREYHOUND INDUSTRY ACT, 1958.
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
PART I.
Preliminary and General.
Section 1. Short title. 2. Interpretation. 3. Establishment day. 4. Performance of functions of the Club. 5. Regulations and rules generally.
PART II.
Board na gCon.
6. Establishment of the Board. 7. Constitution of the Board. 8. Chairman of the Board. 9. Provisions in relation to appointment, term of office, etc, of ordinary members of the Board. 10. Meetings and procedure of the Board. 11. Officers and servants of the Board. 12. Offices of the Board. 13. Committees of the Board. 14. Minutes. 15. Seal of the Board. 16. Application of funds of the Board. 17. Power of the Board to borrow. 18. Investment of funds of the Board. 19. Accounts and reports of the Board. 20. Totalisator licence.
PART III.
Greyhound Racing.
21. Restriction on operating greyhound race track. 22. Greyhound race track licences. 23. Conditions attached to greyhound race track licence. 24. Revocation or suspension of greyhound race track licence. 25. Regulations and rules in relation to greyhound race tracks.
PART IV.
The Irish Coursing Club.
26. The Irish Coursing Club.
PART V.
Provisions Applicable to Bookmakers.
CHAPTER I.
Restrictions on bookmakers carrying on business at greyhound race tracks and authorised coursing meetings
27. Appointed day. 28. Prohibition of course betting by bookmakers not holding permits. 29. Course-betting permits. 30. Production of course betting permits on demand.
CHAPTER II.
Levies on bookmakers in respect of course bets.
31. Commencement of subsequent sections of this Chapter etc. 32. Levies payable by licenced bookmakers on course bets. 33. Regulations for payment of levies on course bets. 34. Inspection of document in bookmakers' premises. 35. Inspection of books, etc.
PART VI.
Miscellaneous.
36. Regulations in relation to coursing. 37. Training of greyhounds for reward. 38. Public sales of greyhounds. 39. Artificial insemination of greyhounds. 40. Regulations in relation to totalisators. 41. Export of greyhounds. 42. Power of the Board to establish greyhound race tracks. 43. Investigations by the Board and the Club. 44. Investigations by authorised officers. 45. Disqualification orders. 46. Power of entry and inspection. 47. Exclusion orders. 48. Fixing of certain charges. 49. Fixing of Stake money and prizes. 50. Appeal Committee. 51. Appeals. 52. Prosecution of offences. 53. Service of documents.
SCHEDULE.
Constitution of the Irish Coursing Club
Acts Referred to Betting Act, 1931 No. 27 of 1931 Totalisator Act, 1929 No. 22 of 1929 Documentary Evidence Act, 1925 No. 24 of 1925 Interpretation Act, 1937 No. 38 of 1937 Totalisator Act, 1929 No. 22 of 1929
Number 12 of 1958.
GREYHOUND INDUSTRY ACT, 1958.
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE IMPROVEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE GREYHOUND INDUSTRY, GREYHOUND RACING AND COURSING AND FOR THE BETTER CONTROL OF GREYHOUND RACE TRACKS AND COURSING GROUNDS; TO ESTABLISH A BOARD TO BE CALLED BORD NA gCON AND TO DEFINE ITS FUNCTIONS; TO MAKE PROVISION FOR THE OPERATION BY BORD NA gCON OF TOTALISATORS, FOR THE CHARGING OF FEES TO BE PAID BY PERSONS OPERATING GREYHOUND RACE TRACKS ON WHICH THE TOTALISATORS ARE INSTALLED AND FOR THE COLLECTION OF SUMS AND LEVIES OUT OF MONEYS STAKED BY MEANS OF THE TOTALISATORS; TO PROVIDE FOR THE RECONSTITUTION OF THE IRISH COURSING CLUB AND ITS RECOGNITION AS THE CONTROLLING AUTHORITY FOR THE BREEDING AND COURSING OF GREYHOUNDS; TO ASSIGN CERTAIN FUNCTIONS TO THE IRISH COURSING CLUB; TO MAKE PROVISION IN RELATION TO BOOKMAKERS ENGAGED IN COURSE BETTING WITH RESPECT TO GREYHOUNDS (INCLUDING PROVISION FOR THE IMPOSITION OF LEVIES ON BOOKMAKERS IN RELATION TO COURSE BETS AND PROVISION FOR THE CHARGING, OTHERWISE THAN WHILE SUCH LEVIES ARE IMPOSED, OF FEES TO BE PAID BY BOOKMAKERS ENGAGED IN COURSE BETTING); AND TO PROVIDE FOR CERTAIN MATTERS (INCLUDING THE MAKING OF CHARGES WITH RESPECT TO LICENCES AND PERMITS) CONNECTED WITH THE MATTERS AFORESAID. [28th May, 1958.]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:—
PART I. Preliminary and General.
	Short title.	1.—This Act may be cited as the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958.
	Interpretation.	2.—(1) In this Act—
	“authorised coursing ground” means a coursing ground at which authorised coursing meetings are held ;
	“authorised coursing meeting” means a coursing meeting authorised by the Club ;
	“authorised officer” means a person appointed in writing by the Board or the Club (as may be appropriate) to be an authorised officer for the purposes of this Act ;
	“the Board” means Bord na gCon established by this Act ;
	“the Club” means the Irish Coursing Club ;
	“course bet” means—
	(a) a bet entered into by a licensed bookmaker, during a greyhound race meeting held at a greyhound race track, on a greyhound race forming an item at that meeting, or
	(b) a bet entered into by a licensed bookmaker, during an authorised coursing meeting (not being a meeting declared by the Board by regulations to be exempted as respects the levies provided for by this Act), on an event forming an item at that meeting ;
	“course-betting permit” has the meaning assigned to it in section 29 ;
	“the establishment day” means the day appointed to be the establishment day for the purposes of this Act by order of the Minister made under section 3 of this Act ;
	“greyhound race” means a greyhound race (including trial and schooling) in which an object propelled by mechanical means is pursued;
	“greyhound race track” means a greyhound race track on which greyhound races are held for reward ;
	“greyhound race track licence” has the meaning specified in section 22 ;
	“licensed bookmaker” means a person who is for the time being the holder of a bookmaker's licence issued to him under the Betting Act, 1931 (No. 27 of 1931) ;
	“the Minister” means the Minister for Agriculture ;
	“precincts” means, in relation to an authorised coursing ground, any place adjacent to that coursing ground to which the public habitually resort for the purpose of watching coursing ;
	“prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Board under this Act ;
	“totalisator licence” means a licence granted under the Totalisator Act, 1929 (No. 22 of 1929).
	(2) A reference in this Act to a contravention of any provision includes, where appropriate, a reference to contravention of that provision by failing or refusing to comply therewith.
	Establishment day.	3.—The Minister may by order appoint a day to be the establishment day for the purposes of this Act.
	Performance of functions of the Club.	4.—The functions vested in the Club by or under this Act shall be carried out—
	(a) before the day appointed by the Minister under subsection (7) of section 26 of this Act—by the Standing Committee of the Club, and
	(b) on and after that day—by the Executive Committee of the Club,
	but, in the case of rules made under this Act, the rules shall not come into operation unless and until they are approved of at a general meeting of the Club.
	Regulations and rules generally.	5.—(1) In all legal proceedings—
	(a) the production of a document purporting to be a copy of any regulation made by the Board under this Act and to be certified to be a true copy by the chairman of the Board or the chief officer of the Board shall be sufficient evidence of the regulation and that any consultation requisite under this Act in relation thereto has been effected and no proof shall be required of the handwriting or official position of the person certifying the document,
	(b) the production of a document purporting to be signed by an officer of the Minister and certifying that any specified regulation made by the Board under this Act was made with the consent of the Minister shall be sufficient evidence that the regulation was made with the consent of the Minister and no proof shall be required of the handwriting or official position of the person signing the document.
	(2) In all legal proceedings—
	(a) the production of a document purporting to be a copy of any rule made by the Club under this Act and to be certified to be a true copy by the president of the Club or the secretary of the Club shall be sufficient evidence of the rule and no proof shall be required of the handwriting or official position of the person certifying the document,
	(b) the production of a document purporting to be signed by the president of the Club or the secretary of the Club and certifying that any specified rule made by the Club under this Act came into operation on a specified day shall be sufficient evidence that the rule came into operation on that day and no proof shall be required of the handwriting or official position of the person signing the document,
	(c) the production of a document purporting to be signed by the chairman of the Board or the chief officer of the Board and certifying that any specified rule made by the Club under this Act was made with the consent of the Board shall be sufficient evidence that the rule was made with the consent of the Board and no proof shall be required of the handwriting or official position of the person signing the document.
	(3) The Board may make regulations in relation to any...