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The Public Health Inspectors have to spend a considerable
amount of time in securing the removal of these people, and
in the majority of cases they have to resort to towing the caravans
off the land with the assistance of tractors from the Parks Department
and the protection of the police. The police have been
very helpful in rendering assistance for this purpose. During the
year the Public Health Inspectors made no less than 355 visits
to gipsy encampments.
The owners of a number of these pieces of land have been
persuaded to fence them in or to form other barriers to keep
the gipsies off and the Council have authorised expenditure for
the erection of barriers on pieces of land where the owners are
not known.
It is hoped that by these means the gipsies will eventually
be dissuaded from visiting this town.
(vii) Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, 1949
It is the duty of every local authority, under the above Act,
to take such steps as may be necessary to secure as far as
practicable that their district is kept free from rats and mice.
The local authority also have a specific liability to ensure,
as far as practicable, that all land and buildings occupied by them
are kept ree from rats and mice. This includes Parks, Recreation
Grounds, Schools and Public Buildings and all sewers vested
in the local authority.
It is not widely known; but it is the duty of the occupier
or owner of any premises to notify the local authority of the
presence of rats or mice on land that they occupy and it is in
fact the responsibility of the occupier to take steps to rid their
premises of these pests.
This Council have however provided a service for this purpose
over a number of years, and two Rodent Operatives are employed
in the Health Department. These operatives are provided with
a van and the necessary equipment to trace and deal with all forms
of infestation.
This service is provided free to all ratepayers in the district,
Up until April of this year a charge was made to the occupiers
of business premises, but as it was felt that the charge made was
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