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Consumer Credit Act, 1995

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Consumer Credit Act, 1995 Skip to content Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Gaeilge Léim go dtí an t-ábhar Séanadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach English Gaeilge English Produced by the Office of the Attorney General Táirgthe ag Oifig an Ard-Aighne Home Legislation Acts of the Oireachtas Statutory Instruments Pre-1922 Legislation Constitution External Resources Bills (Houses of the Oireachtas) Iris Oifigiúil / Official Gazette Revised Acts (LRC) Classified List of Legislation (LRC) Translations (acts.

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  3. s)or rangeBliain nó blianta nó raon TypeCineál All Legislation Acts Statutory Instruments Advanced SearchCuardach Casta HomeBaile ActsAchtanna 1995 Consumer Credit Act, 1995 Consumer Credit Act, 1995 Permanent Page URL View by SectionAmharc de réir Ailt View Full ActAmharc ar an Acht Iomlán Bill History Stair Bille Commencement, Amendments, SIs made under the Act Tosach Feidhme, Leasuithe, IRí arna ndéanamh faoin Acht Revised Act Acht Athbh… Print Full ActPriontáil an tAcht Iomlán Number 24 of 1995 CONSUMER CREDIT ACT, 1995 ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS PART I Preliminary and General Section 1. Short title and commencement. 2. Interpretation. 3. Application. 4. Functions of Director. 5. Powers of Director in respect of investigations. 6. Direction of Director in respect of statements and notices. 7. Authorised officers. 8. Prohibition on unauthorised disclosure of information. 9. APR. 10. Criteria for calculation of APR. 11. Laying of regulations before Houses of Oireachtas. 12. Offences. 13. Penalties. 14. Prosecution of offences. 15. Cost of prosecutions. 16. Immunity of Director. 17. Transitional provision. 18. Expenses of Minister and Director. 19. Repeals. PART II Advertising and Offering of Financial Accommodation 20. Application of Part II. 21. Credit advertisements. 22. Advertising of financial accommodation related to goods or services. 23. Advertising of consumer-hire agreements. 24. Comparative advertising. 25. Advertising of credit as being without charge. 26. Advertising of financial accommodation to comply with this Part. 27. Obligation on provider of financial accommodation to ensure advertisements comply with Part. 28. Regulations relating to advertising of financial accommodation. PART III Requirements Relating to Credit Agreements and Form and Contents thereof 29. Application of Part III. 30. General requirements relating to contents of credit agreements. 31. Contents of credit agreements for cash loans. 32. Requirements relating to credit-sale agreements. 33. Avoidance of certain provisions in credit-sale agreements. 34. Requirements relating to contents of contracts for services. 35. Advances on current account. 36. Notice of important information to be included in credit agreements. 37. Regulations. 38. Enforceability. 39. Obligations on creditors to comply with Part III. PART IV Matters Arising During Currency of Agreements 40. Assignment of creditor's or owner's rights. 41. Use of bills of exchange, etc. 42. Liability regarding goods and services. 43. Duty to supply documents and information. 44. Appropriation of payments. 45. Restrictions on written communications. 46. Visits and telephone calls. 47. Excessive rates of charge for credit. 48. Power of court to re-open credit agreement where charge is excessive. 49. Making demands and threats in relation to unenforceable agreements. 50. Cooling-off period. PART V Matters Arising on Termination of Agreements or on Default 51. Application of Part V. 52. Indebtedness may be discharged before time fixed by agreement. 53. Reduction where amount owed becomes payable before time fixed by agreement. 54. Limitation on right of enforcement. 55. Unjustified enrichment. PART VI Hire-Purchase Agreements 56. Application of Part VI. 57. Requirement to state cash price. 58. Contents of hire-purchase agreements. 59. Enforceability. 60. Regulations. 61. Obligation on owners to comply with sections 58 and 60. 62. Avoidance of certain provisions in hire-purchase agreements. 63. Rights of hirer to determine hire-purchase agreement. 64. Restriction on right of owner to recover possession of goods otherwise than by proceedings. 65. Hire-purchase price. 66. Powers of court in actions for recovery of possession of goods. 67. Liability for failure to take reasonable care of goods. 68. Liability of guarantor where goods are returned to the owner. 69. Duty of hirer to give information as to whereabouts of goods. 70. Sale by dealer of goods let to him under a hire-purchase agreement. 71. Evidence of adverse detention in actions by owners to recover possession of the goods. 72. Successive hire-purchase agreements between the same parties. 73. Hirer's refusal to surrender goods not to be conversion in certain cases. 74. Implied terms as to title. 75. Letting by description. 76. Implied undertakings as to quality or fitness. 77. Samples. 78. Statements purporting to restrict rights of hirer. 79. Exclusion of implied terms and conditions. 80. Liability of persons conducting negotiations antecedent to hire-purchase agreements. 81. Application of sections 12 and 15 to 19 of Act of 1980 to hire-purchase agreements. 82. Application of section 13 of Act of 1980 to hire-purchase of motor vehicles. 83. Antecedent negotiations and representations. PART VII Consumer-Hire Agreements 84. Contents of consumer-hire agreements. 85. Enforceability. 86. Regulations. 87. Obligation on owners to comply with sections 84 and 86. 88. Application of sections 75 to 83 to consumer-hire agreements. 89. Right of hirer to determine consumer-hire agreement. 90. Hirer to take reasonable care of goods. 91. Duty of hirer to give information as to whereabouts of goods. PART VIII Provisions Relating to Moneylending 92. Application of Part VIII. 93. Moneylender's licence. 94. Obligation on moneylender to display licence. 95. “Moneylending agreement” to be stated in agreement. 96. Prohibition on alteration or falsification of moneylender's licence. 97. Moneylender to issue authorisation to persons engaging in moneylending on his behalf off business premises. 98. Prohibition on engaging in business of moneylending without licence. 99. Loan or other credit to be advanced in full. 100. Repayment book. 101. Records to be maintained by moneylender. 102. Prohibition on charges for expenses on loans by moneylenders. 103. Moneylending agreements which include a collection charge. 104. Presumption. 105. Powers of entry of Garda Síochána. 106. Search warrants. 107. Prohibition on possession of documents belonging to another person for moneylending. 108. Obligation to produce to member of Garda Síochána moneylender's licence or authorisation. 109. Powers of arrest. 110. Prohibition on collecting repayments at certain times. 111. Prohibition on selling goods while collecting repayments. 112. Prohibition on increased charges for credit on default. 113. Continuity of licences granted under Moneylenders Act, 1933. 114. Regulations. PART IX Housing Loans Made by Mortgage Lenders 115. Application of, definitions, Part IX. 116. Mortgage intermediaries. 117. Obligation to display copy of mortgage intermediaries authorisation. 118. Prohibition on alteration or falsification of mortgage intermediaries authorisation. 119. Amendment of mortgage intermediaries authorisation. 120. Regulations. 121. Redemption of housing loans. 122. Criteria for calculation of APR in relation to housing loans. 123. Valuation reports. 124. Insurance of mortgaged property. 125. Costs of legal investigation of title. 126. Mortgage protection insurance. 127. Prohibition on linking of services. 128. Warning on loss of home. 129. Notice of important information to be included in a housing loan agreement. 130. Duties of mortgage lender to supply documents and information. 131. Disclosure of charges, agency introduction fees, commissions and expenses. 132. Disclosure of other fees. 133. Endowment loans. 134. Disclosure of interest rate and penalties to be applied to arrears on housing loans. 135. Advertising of housing loans. 136. Protection of borrower on a winding-up. PART X Miscellaneous 137. Regulations in relation to duty to display information. 138. Restrictions as to use of inertia selling provisions in agreements. 139. Circulars to minors. 140. Prohibition on exclusion of obligations or rights in agreements. 141. Statements purporting to exclude or restrict liabilities or rights. 142. Duty to disclose information concerning financial standing of consumer. 143. Correction of incorrect information. PART XI Credit Intermediaries 144. Credit intermediaries. 145. Obligation to display copy of credit intermediaries authorisation. 146. Prohibition on alteration or falsification of credit intermediaries authorisation. 147. Amendment of credit intermediaries authorisation. 148. Nature of “finance arranged” to be explained to consumer. PART XII Obligation on Credit Institutions to Notify Director of all Customer Charges 149. Customer charges, etc., by credit institutions. 150. Disclosure of information by Director. PART XIII Moneylenders, Credit and Mortgage Intermediaries Registers 151. Moneylenders, credit intermediaries and mortgage intermediaries registers. PART XIV Amendment of Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act, 1980 152. Amendment of Act of 1980. PART XV Amendment of Pawnbrokers Act, 1964 153. Licensing of pawnbrokers. 154. Amendment of Pawnbrokers Act, 1964. 155. Continuity of licences granted by Revenue Commissioners. PART XVI Amendment of Consumer Information Act, 1978 156. Amendment of section 9 of Consumer Information Act, 1978. FIRST SCHEDULE SECOND SCHEDULE THIRD SCHEDULE FOURTH SCHEDULE FIFTH SCHEDULE SIXTH SCHEDULE SEVENTH SCHEDULE EIGHTH SCHEDULE Number 24 of 1995 CONSUMER CREDIT ACT, 1995 AN ACT TO REVISE AND EXTEND THE LAW RELATING TO CONSUMER CREDIT, HIRE-PURCHASE, HIRING AND MONEYLENDING AND TO ENABLE EFFECT TO BE GIVEN TO COUNCIL DIRECTIVE NO. 87/102/EEC OF 22 DECEMBER, 1986, AS AMENDED BY COUNCIL DIRECTIVE NO. 90/88/EEC OF 22 FEBRUARY, 1990, AND FOR THOSE PURPOSES TO REPEAL THE HIRE-PURCHASE ACTS, 1946 TO 1980, AND THE MONEYLENDERS ACTS, 1900 TO 1989, AND TO REPEAL AND AMEND CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE SALE OF GOODS AND SUPPLY OF SERVICES ACT, 1980 , TO PROVIDE THAT THE DIRECTOR OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS SHALL MONITOR ALL CUSTOMER CHARGES BY CREDIT INSTITUTIONS AND FOR THAT PURPOSE TO REPEAL SECTION 28 OF THE CENTRAL BANK ACT, 1989 , TO PROVIDE FOR THE AMENDMENT AND EXTENSION OF THE PAWNBROKERS ACT, 1964 , TO PROVIDE FOR THE AMENDMENT OF SECTION 9 OF THE CONSUMER INFORMATION ACT, 1978 , AND TO PROVIDE FOR CONNECTED MATTERS. [31st July, 1995] BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS: PART I Preliminary and General Short title and commencement. 1.—

(1)This Act may be cited as the Consumer Credit Act, 1995.
(2)This Act shall come into operation on such day or days as the Minister may appoint by order or orders either generally or with reference to any particular purpose or provision and different days may be so appointed for different purposes and different provisions. Interpretation. 2.—
(1)In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires— “the Act of 1980” means the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act, 1980 ; “advertisement” includes every form of advertising, whether in a publication, by television or radio, by display of notices, signs, labels, showcards or goods, by distribution of samples, circulars, catalogues, price lists or other material, by exhibition of pictures, models or films, or in any other way, and references to the publishing of advertisements shall be construed accordingly; “agreement” means an agreement to which this Act applies; “APR” means the annual percentage rate of charge, being the total cost of credit to the consumer, expressed as an annual percentage of the amount of credit granted and calculated in accordance with section 9 ; “authorised copy” in relation to a moneylender's licence, a mortgage intermediaries authorisation or a credit intermediaries authorisation, means a copy of the licence or authorisation for display purposes issued by the Director in such form as he may decide; “authorised officer” means— (
  1. a)in relation to this Act, other than Part VIII , a person appointed under section 7 , or (
  2. b)in relation to Part VIII , a member of the Garda Síochána; “borrower” means a consumer acting as a borrower; “business name” means the name or style under which any business is carried on; “buyer” means a consumer acting as a buyer; “cash” includes money in any form; “cash price” means the money consideration for a transaction for the purchase of goods or the supply of a service by a consumer which is not financed by credit; “Central Bank” means the Central Bank of Ireland; “collecting repayments” means, in respect of a moneylending agreement, the collection of repayments in respect of the agreement at a place other than a business premises of the moneylender; “company” means— (
  3. a)a company within the meaning of the Companies Acts, 1963 to 1990, or (
  4. b)a body established under the laws of a state other than the State and corresponding to a body referred to in paragraph (a); “consumer” means a natural person acting outside his trade, business or profession; “consumer-hire agreement” means an agreement of more than three months duration for the bailment of goods to a hirer under which the property in the goods remains with the owner; “contract of guarantee” means, in relation to any agreement, a contract, made at the request express or implied of the consumer, to guarantee the performance of the consumer's obligations under the agreement, and the expression “guarantor” shall be construed accordingly; “cooling-off period” has the meaning assigned to it by section 50 ; “the Council Directive” means Council Directive No. 87/102/EEC of 22 December 1986
(1), for the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States of the European Communities concerning consumer credit, as amended by Council Directive No. 90/88/EEC of 22 February 1990
(2), the texts of which are set out for convenience of reference in Parts I and II , respectively, of the First Schedule ; “credit” includes a deferred payment, cash loan, or any other form of financial accommodation; “credit agreement” means an agreement whereby a creditor grants or promises to grant to a consumer a credit in the form of a deferred payment, a cash loan or other similar financial accommodation; “credit card” means a card issued by a credit institution or other person to an individual by means of which goods, services or cash may be obtained by the individual on credit and amounts in respect of the goods, services or cash may be charged to the credit card account of the individual maintained by the credit institution or other person; “credit institution” means— (
  1. a)the holder of a licence granted under section 9 of the Central Bank Act, 1971 , (
  2. b)a body licensed to carry on banking under regulations made under the European Communities Act, 1972 , (
  3. c)a building society incorporated or deemed to be incorporated under section 10 of the Building Societies Act, 1989 , (
  4. d)a society licensed to carry on the business of a trustee savings bank under section 10 of the Trustee Savings Banks Act, 1989 , (
  5. e)ACC Bank p.l.c., (
  6. f)ICC Bank p.l.c., (
  7. g)such person or persons which may from time to time be prescribed; “credit intermediary” means a person, other than a credit institution or a mortgage lender, who in the course of his business arranges or offers to arrange for a consumer the provision of credit or the letting of goods in return for a commission, payment or consideration of any kind from the provider of the credit or the owner, as the case may be; “credit intermediaries authorisation” means an authorisation granted under section 144 ; “credit-sale agreement” means a credit agreement for the sale of goods under which the purchase price or part of it is payable in instalments and the property in the goods passes to the buyer immediately upon the making of the agreement; “creditor” means a person who grants credit under a credit agreement in the course of his trade, business or profession, and includes a group of such persons; “the Director” means the Director of Consumer Affairs; “financial accommodation” includes credit and the letting of goods; “functions” includes powers and duties; “hirer” means a consumer who takes, intends to take or has taken goods from an owner under a hire-purchase agreement or a consumer-hire agreement in return for periodical payments; “hire-purchase agreement” means an agreement for the bailment of goods under which the hirer may buy the goods or under which the property in the goods will, if the terms of the agreement are complied with, pass to the hirer in return for periodical payments; and where by virtue of two or more agreements, none of which by itself constitutes a hire-purchase agreement, there is a bailment of goods and either the hirer may buy the goods, or the property therein will, if the terms of the agreements are complied with, pass to the hirer, the agreements shall be treated for the purpose of this Act as a single agreement made at the time when the last agreement was made; “house” includes any building or part of a building used or suitable for use as a dwelling and any outoffice, yard, garden or other land appurtenant thereto or usually enjoyed therewith; “housing loan” means an agreement for credit on the security of a mortgage of a freehold or leasehold estate or interest in a house where— (
  8. a)the loan is made for the purpose of enabling the borrower to provide or improve the house or to purchase the said estate or interest, or (
  9. b)the loan is made for the purpose of refinancing a loan within the meaning of paragraph (a), or (
  10. c)the house is to be used or to continue to be used as the principal residence of the borrower or his dependants; “installation charge” means the charge for— (
  11. a)the installing of any electric line or any gas or water pipe, (
  12. b)the fixing of goods to which the agreement relates to the premises where they are to be used, and the alteration of premises to enable any such goods to be used thereon, and (
  13. c)where it is reasonably necessary that any such goods should be constructed or erected on the premises where they are to be used, any work carried out for the purpose of such construction or erection; “the Minister” means the Minister for Enterprise and Employment; “moneylender” means a person who carries on the business of moneylending, or who advertises or announces himself or holds himself out in any way as carrying on that business; but does not include— (
  14. a)any pawnbroker in respect of business carried on by him in accordance with the provisions of the Pawnbrokers Act, 1964 (as amended by Part XV ), (
  15. b)a society which is registered as a credit union under the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts, 1893 to 1978, by virtue of the Credit Union Act, 1966 , (
  16. c)a registered society within the meaning of the Friendly Societies Acts, 1896 to 1977, (
  17. d)a credit institution, (
  18. e)a person who supplies money for the purchase, sale or hire of goods at an APR which is less than 23 per cent. (or such other rate as may be prescribed), (
  19. f)a mortgage lender; “moneylender's licence” means a licence granted under section 93 ; “moneylending” means credit supplied by a moneylender to a consumer on foot of a moneylending agreement; “moneylending agreement” means a credit agreement into which a moneylender enters, or offers to enter, with a consumer in which one or more of the following apply: (
  20. a)the agreement was concluded away from the business premises of the moneylender or the business premises of the supplier of goods or services under the agreement, (
  21. b)any negotiations for, or in relation to the credit were conducted at a place other than the business premises of the moneylender or the business premises of the supplier of goods or services under the agreement, (
  22. c)repayments under the agreement will, or may, be paid by the consumer to the moneylender or his representative at any place other than the business premises of the moneylender or the business premises of the supplier of goods or services under the agreement, or (
  23. d)where the total cost of credit to the consumer under the agreement is in excess of an APR of 23 per cent., or such other rate as may be prescribed; “mortgage” includes charge; “mortgage lender” means— (
  24. a)a credit institution making housing loans, or (
  25. b)any other person of a class prescribed after consultation with the Minister for the Environment, for the purposes of the Act; “mortgage intermediary” means any person, other than a mortgage lender or credit institution, who in return for a commission, payment or consideration of any kind in relation to the credit transaction, arranges or offers to arrange the provision of a housing loan by a mortgage lender; “motor vehicle” means a vehicle intended or adapted for propulsion by mechanical means; “owner” means the person who lets or has let goods to a hirer under a hire-purchase agreement or a consumer-hire agreement; “partnership” has the meaning assigned to it by the Partnership Act, 1890 ; “premises” includes any building, dwelling, temporary construction, vehicle, ship or aircraft; “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Minister and “prescribe” shall be construed accordingly; “record” means any book, document or any other written or printed material in any form including any information stored, maintained or preserved by means of any mechanical or electronic device, whether or not stored, maintained or preserved in a legible form; “regulations” means regulations made by the Minister; “running account” means a facility under a credit agreement whereby the consumer is enabled to receive, from time to time, from the creditor or a third party, cash, goods or services to an amount or value such that, taking into account payments made by or to the credit of the consumer, the credit limit (if any) is not at any time exceeded; “total cost of credit” means the total cost of the credit to the consumer being all the costs, comprising interest, collection and all other charges, which the consumer has to pay for the credit exclusive of any sum payable as a penalty or as compensation or damages for breach of the agreement; “undertaking” means a company, partnership or any other person.
(2)In this Act a reference to a borrower, buyer, consumer, creditor, hirer, owner or seller includes a person to whom the borrower's, buyer's, consumer's, creditor's, hirer's, owner's or seller's rights or liabilities, as the case may be, under an agreement have passed by assignment or operation of law.
(3)In this Act a reference to a section, Part or Schedule, is a reference to a section or Part of, or Schedule to this Act, unless there is an indication that a reference to any other enactment is intended or otherwise indicated.
(4)In this Act a reference to a subsection, paragraph or subparagraph is a reference to the subsection, paragraph or subparagraph of the provision in which the reference occurs, unless there is an indication that a reference to some other provision is intended.
(5)Any reference in this Act to a term of an agreement includes a reference to a term which although not contained in an agreement is incorporated in the agreement by another term of the agreement.
(6)A word or expression that is used in this Act and is also used in the Council Directive has, unless the contrary intention appears, the meaning in this Act that it has in the Council Directive.
(7)In construing a provision of this Act, a court shall give to it a construction that will give effect to the Council Directive, and for this purpose a court shall have regard to the provisions of the Council Directive, including the preambles.
(8)In this Act a reference to any enactment shall be construed as a reference to that enactment as amended or adapted by or under any subsequent enactment. Application. 3.—
(1)Subject to subsections
(2)and
(3), this Act shall apply to all credit agreements, hire-purchase agreements and consumer-hire agreements to which a consumer is a party.
(2)This Act shall not apply to the following, that is to say— (
  1. a)a credit agreement in relation to credit granted or intended to be granted by— (
  2. i)a society which is registered as a credit union under the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts, 1893 to 1978, by virtue of the Credit Union Act, 1966 , (
  3. ii)any registered society within the meaning of the Friendly Societies Acts, 1896 to 1977, (
  4. b)a credit agreement in the form of an authentic act signed before a notary public or a judge, (
  5. c)a loan made by a pawnbroker under the Pawnbrokers Act, 1964 (as amended by Part XV ), (
  6. d)an agreement for the provision on a continuing basis of a service or a utility where the consumer has the right to pay for it, by means of instalments or deferred payments, (
  7. e)credit granted or made available without payment of interest or any other charge other than by a seller of goods who has invited by advertisement consumers to avail of such credit, (
  8. f)a credit agreement other than a credit agreement operated by means of a credit card under which no interest is charged provided the consumer agrees to repay the credit in a single payment, or (
  9. g)a credit agreement between an employer and an employee made on terms which are more favourable to the employee than terms offered generally to the public in the normal course of business.
(3)(
  1. a)The provisions of this Act may only be applied to housing loans advanced by local authorities, within the meaning of the Local Government Act, 1941 , by regulations made by the Minister after consultation with the Minister for the Environment, and different provisions may be applied at different times to different classes of loans, by reference to such matters as the Minister considers appropriate. (
  2. b)A loan, not secured by mortgage, made by a local authority for the purposes of carrying out improvement works (within the meaning of section 1 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1979 ) to a house shall be regarded as a housing loan (within the meaning of this Act) for the purposes of this Act. Functions of Director. 4.—
(1)The Director shall have the following functions for the purposes of this Act in addition to the other powers conferred on him by this Act: (
  1. a)to keep under general review practices or proposed practices in relation to any of the obligations imposed on persons by any provision of this Act, (
  2. b)to carry out investigations of any such practices or proposed practices where he considers that in the public interest, such investigations are proper or the Minister so requests, (
  3. c)to request persons engaging in or proposing to engage in such practices as are, or are likely to be, contrary to the obligations imposed on them by any provision of this Act to discontinue or refrain from such practices, (
  4. d)to institute proceedings, after consultation with the Central Bank, in the High Court for orders requiring persons engaging or proposing to engage in any practices as are, or are likely to be, contrary to the obligations imposed on them by any provision of this Act, to discontinue or refrain from such practices (having been requested under paragraph (
  5. c)to so discontinue or refrain and failed to do so), (
  6. e)to investigate complaints concerning possible breaches of the provisions of this Act and in deciding whether to conduct such an investigation the Director may have regard to the existence of other dispute settling procedures, and (
  7. f)to publish Codes of Practice setting out conduct regarding agreements to which this Act applies, in order to secure transparency and fairness in relation to the terms of agreements to which this Act applies and the conduct of agents dealing with the consumer.
(2)The Director may provide in response to complaints or otherwise, information or advice to consumers concerning agreements to which this Act applies, and, in particular, on the obligations imposed on creditors or other persons by this Act.
(3)The Director shall, not more than 3 months after the end of each year, present a report to the Minister of the Director's activities in that year in relation to the performance of the Director's functions under this Act and the Minister shall cause a copy of the report to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas within 2 months of receipt of it.
(4)The Director shall furnish to the Minister such information regarding the performance of the Director's functions under this Act as the Minister may from time to time require. Powers of Director in respect of investigations. 5.—
(1)The Director may, for the purposes of an investigation by him under this Act, require any person who, in the opinion of the Director is in possession of information, or has a record or thing in his power or control, that is relevant to the investigation to furnish that information, record or thing to the Director and, where appropriate, may require the person to attend before him for that purpose and the person shall comply with the requirement.
(2)A person to whom a requirement is addressed under this section shall be entitled to the same immunities and privileges as if he were a witness before a court.
(3)A person shall not by act or omission obstruct or hinder the Director in the performance of his functions under this Act or do any other thing which would, if the Director were a court having power to commit for contempt of court, be in contempt of such court.
(4)Where a person is in contempt under subsection
(3)the Director may apply to the High Court to commit the person for such contempt. Direction of Director in respect of statements and notices. 6.—
(1)The Director may, in the interest of better informing consumers, by such means as he sees fit, and subject to this Act, issue a direction as to the location and size of any statement or notice required under this Act.
(2)Any person so directed under subsection
(1)shall comply with that direction. Authorised officers. 7.—
(1)The Minister or the Director may appoint in writing such and so many persons to be authorised officers for the purposes of all or any of the provisions of this Act.
(2)The Minister or the Director may appoint in writing any person to be an authorised officer for a fixed period for the purposes of all or any of the provisions of this Act.
(3)Every authorised officer appointed under this section shall be furnished with a warrant of his appointment as an authorised officer and when exercising any power conferred on him by this section as an authorised officer shall, if requested by a person affected, produce the warrant or a copy thereof to that person.
(4)An appointment under this section as an authorised officer shall cease— (
  1. a)in the case of an appointment made by the Minister, where the Minister revokes the appointment, (
  2. b)in the case of an appointment made by the Director, where the Director revokes the appointment, (
  3. c)where it is for a fixed period, upon the expiry of that period, or (
  4. d)where the person appointed is an officer of the Minister or the Director, upon his ceasing to be such an officer.
(5)An authorised officer may, for the purpose of obtaining any information which may be required in relation to the matter under investigation in order to enable the Director to exercise his functions under this Act— (
  1. a)at all reasonable times enter any premises, at which there are reasonable grounds to believe that any trade or business or any activity in connection with a trade or business is, or has been, carried on, or that records in relation to such trade, business or activities are kept, and search and inspect the premises and any records on the premises, (
  2. b)secure for later inspection any premises or any part of a premises in which such records are kept or there are reasonable grounds for believing that such records are kept, (
  3. c)require any person who carries on such trade, business or activity or any person employed therewith to produce to him such records and in the case of such information in a non-legible form to reproduce it in a legible form or to give to him such information as the officer may reasonably require in relation to any entries in such records, (
  4. d)inspect and take copies of or extracts from any such records (including in the case of information in a non-legible form a copy of or extract from such information in a permanent legible form), (
  5. e)remove and retain the said records for such period as may be reasonable for further examination, subject to a warrant being issued for that purpose by the District Court, (
  6. f)require any such person to give to the officer any information which the officer may reasonably require in regard to the trade, business or activity or in regard to the persons carrying on such trade, business or activity or employed in connection therewith, (
  7. g)require any such person to give to the officer any other information which the officer may reasonably require in regard to such trade, business or activity, (
  8. h)require any person by or on whose behalf data equipment is or has been used or any person having charge of, or otherwise concerned with the operation of, the data equipment or any associated apparatus or material, to afford the officer all reasonable assistance in relation thereto, (
  9. i)summon, at any reasonable time, any other person employed in connection with the trade, business or activity to give to the officer any information which the officer may reasonably require in regard to such activity and to produce to the officer any records which are in that person's power or control.
(6)An authorised officer shall not, other than with the consent of the occupier, enter a private dwelling unless he has obtained a warrant from the District Court under subsection
(9)authorising such entry.
(7)Where an authorised officer in the exercise of his powers under this section is prevented from entering any premises an application may be made under subsection
(9)authorising such entry.
(8)An authorised officer appointed under this section, where he considers it necessary, may be accompanied by a member of the Garda Síochána when performing any powers conferred on an authorised officer by this Act.
(9)If a judge of the District Court is satisfied on the sworn information of an authorised officer that there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that there is information required by an authorised officer under this section held on any premises or any part of any premises, the judge may issue a warrant authorising an authorised officer, accompanied by other authorised officers, at any time or times within one month from the date of issue of the warrant, on production if so requested of the warrant, to enter, if need be by reasonable force, and exercise all or any of the powers conferred on an authorised officer under subsection
(5).
(10)A person shall not obstruct or interfere with an authorised officer in the exercise of his powers under this Act or give to an authorised officer information which is false or misleading.
(11)A person shall comply with any request or requirement of an authorised officer under this Act. Prohibition on unauthorised disclosure of information. 8.—A person shall not disclose confidential information obtained by him while performing his duties as an authorised officer or as a member of the staff of, or as adviser or consultant to, the Director unless he is duly authorised by the Director or a member of the staff of the Director (duly authorised in that behalf) to do so. APR. 9.—
(1)In this Act the APR shall be the equivalent, on an annual basis, of the present value of all commitments (loans, repayments and charges), future or existing, agreed by the creditor and the consumer, calculated to the nearest rounded decimal place in accordance with the method of calculation specified in the Fourth Schedule .
(2)The Minister may by regulations amend the method of calculation of the APR specified in the Fourth Schedule either generally or in relation to any form of credit covered in this Act.
(3)The Director shall, from time to time, publish guidelines to explain the method of calculation of the APR under this Act. Criteria for calculation of APR. 10.—
(1)This section shall apply to credit agreements other than housing loans.
(2)For the purpose of calculating the APR the total cost of credit to the consumer shall be determined, with the exception of the following charges: (
  1. a)charges payable by the consumer for non-compliance with any of his commitments laid down in the credit agreement, (
  2. b)charges other than the purchase price which, in purchases of goods or services, the consumer is obliged to pay whether the transaction is paid in cash or by credit, (
  3. c)charges for the transfer of funds and charges for keeping an account intended to receive payments towards the reimbursement of the credit, the payment of interest and other charges except where the consumer does not have reasonable freedom of choice in the matter and where such charges are abnormally high; this paragraph shall not, however, apply to charges for collection of such reimbursements or payments, whether made in cash or otherwise, (
  4. d)membership subscriptions to associations or groups and arising from agreements separate from the credit agreement, even though such subscriptions have an effect on the credit terms, (
  5. e)charges for insurance or guarantees other than those designed to ensure payment to the creditor, in the event of the death, invalidity, illness or unemployment of the consumer, of a sum equal to or less than the total amount of the credit together with relevant interest, and other charges imposed by the creditor as a condition for credit being granted.
(3)(
  1. a)The APR shall be calculated— (
  2. i)in the case of a credit agreement, at the time the agreement is concluded, or (
  3. ii)in the case of an advertisement which relates to the offering of credit and mentions the APR, at the time the advertisement is published, and (
  4. b)the calculation shall be made on the assumption that the credit agreement is valid for the period agreed and that the creditor and the consumer fulfil their obligations under the terms and by the dates agreed.
(4)In the case of credit agreements containing terms allowing variations in the rate of interest and the amount or level of other charges contained in the APR but unquantifiable at the time when it is calculated, the APR shall be calculated on the assumption that interest and other charges remain fixed and will apply until the end of the credit agreement. The variability shall be indicated with equal prominence to and along with the APR.
(5)In the case of credit agreements containing terms allowing variations in the rate of interest and the amount or level of other charges contained in the APR but quantifiable at the time when it is calculated, the APR shall be calculated to take account of the rates applicable from the specific dates set out in the agreement.
(6)Where necessary, the following assumptions may be made in calculating the APR: (
  1. a)if there is no fixed timetable for repayment, and one cannot be deduced from the terms of the credit agreement and the means for repaying the credit granted, the duration of the credit shall be deemed to be one year, (
  2. b)unless otherwise specified, where the credit agreement provides for more than one repayment date, the credit will be made available and the repayments made at the earliest time provided for in the agreement, (
  3. c)where the amount of credit to be provided is not specified— (
  4. i)in the case of running account credit, where a credit limit is specified, it shall be assumed that the maximum amount of credit is provided for the duration of the agreement, and (
  5. ii)in any other case, it shall be assumed that the amount provided shall be £1,000, (
  6. d)where charges are payable at an unspecified date after the agreement is signed it shall be assumed that they are payable at the beginning of the agreement.
(7)A creditor shall comply with the requirements of this section in relation to the calculation of the APR in respect of a credit agreement. Laying of regulations before Houses of Oireachtas. 11.—Every regulation made under this Act shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made and, if a resolution annulling the regulation is passed by either such House within the next 21 days on which that House has sat after the regulation is laid before it, the regulation shall be annulled accordingly but without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done thereunder. Offences. 12.—
(1)A person who— (a) in Part I , contravenes section 6
(2), 7
(10)or
(11)or 10
(7), (
  1. b)in Part II , contravenes section 26 or 27 , or regulations under section 28 , (
  2. c)in Part III , contravenes section 39 , (
  3. d)in Part IV , contravenes section 43
(2), (e) in Part VI , contravenes section 61 , 64
(1)or 69 , (
  1. f)in Part VII , contravenes section 87 or 91 , (
  2. g)in Part VIII , contravenes section 93
(6)or
(9), 94 , 95 , 98
(4)or
(5), 99 , 105
(3)or
(4), 106
(2)or
(3), (h) in Part IX , contravenes section 116
(1)or
(2), 117 , 122
(3), 123 , 124 , 128 , 129
(2), 130 , 131
(4)or
(5), 132 , 133
(1)or
(2), 134 or 135
(3), (i) in Part X , contravenes section 138 , 139 , 142 or 143
(2), or regulations made under section 137 , or (j) in Part XI , contravenes section 144
(1)or
(3), 145 or 148 , shall be guilty of a summary offence.
(2)A person who— (
  1. a)in Part IV , contravenes section 45 , 46 or 49 , (
  2. b)in Part V , contravenes section 54 , (
  3. c)in Part VIII , contravenes section 96 , 97 , 98
(1)or
(2), 100 , 101 , 102 , 103
(2), 107 , 110 or 111 , (
  1. d)in Part IX , contravenes section 118 or 127 , or (
  2. e)in Part X , contravenes section 140 , (
  3. f)in Part XI , contravenes section 146 , shall be guilty of an offence.
(3)Where an offence under this Act is committed by a body corporate or by a person acting on behalf of a body corporate and is proved to have been so committed with the consent, connivance or approval of, or to have been facilitated by any neglect on the part of any director, manager, secretary or any other officer of such body or a person who was purporting to act in any such capacity, such person shall also be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished as if he were guilty of the first-mentioned offence.
(4)In this section, a reference to the contravention of a provision includes, where appropriate, a reference to a refusal, or a failure, to comply with that provision. Penalties. 13.—
(1)A person guilty of an offence under this Act shall be liable— (
  1. a)on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £1,500, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both, or (
  2. b)on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding £50,000, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to both.
(2)Where a person, after conviction for an offence under this Act, continues to contravene the provision concerned, he shall be guilty of an offence on every day on which the contravention continues and for each such offence he shall be liable to a fine— (a) on summary conviction, not exceeding £200, or (b) on conviction on indictment, not exceeding £5,000. Prosecution of offences. 14.—
(1)An offence under this Act (other than an offence for contravening Part VIII ) may be prosecuted summarily by the Director.
(2)An offence under this Act for contravening Part VIII may be prosecuted summarily by a member of the Garda Síochána.
(3)Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10
(4)of the Petty Sessions (Ireland) Act, 1851 , summary proceedings for an offence under this Act may be commenced— (
  1. a)at any time within 2 years from the date on which the offence was committed, or (
  2. b)at any time within 6 months from the date on which evidence sufficient, in the opinion of the person by whom the proceedings are initiated, to justify the proceedings, comes to such person's knowledge, not being later than 5 years from the date on which the offence concerned was committed. Cost of prosecutions. 15.—Where a person is convicted of an offence under this Act the court shall, unless it is satisfied that there are special and substantial reasons for not so doing, order the person to pay to the Director the costs and expenses, measured by the court, incurred by the Director in relation to the investigation, detection and prosecution of the offence. Immunity of Director. 16.—No action or other proceedings shall lie or be maintainable (except in the case of wilful neglect or default) against the Director arising from a failure to perform or to comply with any of the functions conferred on the Director by this Act. Transitional provision. 17.—
(1)(
  1. a)Part III shall not apply to any credit agreement, (
  2. b)Part VI shall not apply to any hire-purchase agreement, (
  3. c)sections 100 , 101 and 103 shall not apply to a moneylending agreement, and (
  4. d)Part IX , other than sections 121 , 124 , 130 (b), 133
(6), 134 and 136 , shall not apply to a housing loan, made before the commencement of this Act.
(2)The Hire-Purchase Acts, 1946 to 1980, shall continue to apply to any hire-purchase agreement or credit-sale agreement (within the meaning of the Hire-Purchase Act, 1946 ) made before the commencement of Part VII which is still in force after its commencement notwithstanding the repeal of those Acts by section 19 . Expenses of Minister and Director. 18.—The expenses incurred by the Minister or the Director in the administration of this Act shall, to such extent as may be sanctioned by the Minister for Finance, be paid out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas. Repeals. 19.—The enactments specified in column
(2)of the Second Schedule are hereby repealed to the extent specified in column
(3)of that Schedule. PART II Advertising and Offering of Financial Accommodation Application of Part II . 20.—
(1)Subject to subsection
(2), this Part applies to any advertisement, published or displayed for the purpose of a business carried on by the advertiser indicating willingness to— (
  1. a)provide or to arrange the provision of credit, (
  2. b)enter into a hire-purchase or consumer-hire agreement for the letting of goods by the advertiser, or (
  3. c)arrange the letting of goods under a hire-purchase or consumer-hire agreement by another person, to a consumer.
(2)This Part does not apply to any advertisement published or displayed by a society referred to in section 3
(2)(a). Credit advertisements. 21.—
(1)An advertisement in which a person offers to provide or arrange the provision of credit shall, if mentioning a rate of interest, contain a clear and prominent statement of the APR, using a representative example if no other means is practicable, and no other rate of interest shall be included in the advertisement.
(2)The statement of the APR included in any advertisement to which subsection
(1)applies shall be afforded in the advertisement no less prominence than a statement relating to— (
  1. a)any period over which payment is to be made, (
  2. b)the amount of any advance payment or the fact that no advance payment is required, and (
  3. c)the amount, number or frequency of any other payments or charges (other than the cash price of the goods or services) or of any repayments.
(3)An advertisement (other than one relating to a housing loan) shall, where the credit offered is subject to conditions involving the payment of any charges other than the repayment of capital and interest on the sum borrowed, specify those conditions.
(4)An advertisement shall, if any security is required or is required in specific circumstances in relation to the credit offered, state that such security is required.
(5)Notwithstanding section 7 of the Consumer Information Act, 1978 , it shall not be an offence for a person to provide credit at a lower rate than the rate advertised.
(6)Where an advertisement refers to the availability of credit and the credit is subject to any restrictions, those restrictions shall be clearly indicated. Advertising of financial accommodation related to goods or services. 22.—Where an advertisement refers to the availability of a financial accommodation in relation to the acquisition of goods or the provision of a service, it shall include a statement of— (
  1. a)the nature of the financial accommodation, (
  2. b)the cash price of the goods or service, (
  3. c)where applicable, the total cost of credit or the hire-purchase price, (
  4. d)the number and amount of instalments, (
  5. e)the duration of the intervals between instalment payments, (
  6. f)the number of any instalments which have to be paid before delivery of the goods, and (
  7. g)details of any deposit payable. Advertising of consumer-hire agreements. 23.—
(1)An advertisement in which a person offers to arrange the letting of goods under a consumer-hire agreement or indicates the availability of such a letting shall include a statement to the effect that the agreement is for letting, hiring or leasing only and the goods remain the property of the owner, (i) which shall be afforded no less prominence than the sum of any amount payable by the hirer, and (ii) in the case of a visual advertisement, shall be enclosed by a boxed boundary line.
(2)Where any figures relating to the amount payable by a hirer under a consumer-hire agreement are indicated in any advertisement to which subsection
(1)applies, those figures shall be clearly displayed and shall be fully inclusive of all amounts payable, including taxes.
(3)Where any figures relating to the amount payable by a hirer under a consumer-hire agreement are indicated in any advertisement to which subsection
(1)applies, and those figures indicate the amount payable for part of the agreement only, that fact shall also be clearly indicated in the advertisement. Comparative advertising. 24.—Where an advertisement purports to compare the level of repayments or cost under one or more forms of financial accommodation, the advertisement shall contain the relevant terms of each of the forms of financial accommodation referred to in the advertisement. Advertising of credit as being without charge. 25.—An advertisement shall not describe credit as being without interest, or any other charge, if the availability of the credit is dependent on the consumer concluding with the creditor or any other person a maintenance contract (for any goods involved) or an insurance contract or on any other condition, compliance with which would, or would be likely in the future to, involve the consumer in any cost additional to that payable if the goods were bought for cash. Advertising of financial accommodation to comply with this Part. 26.—
(1)A person shall not display or publish or cause to be displayed or published an advertisement to which this Part applies which does not comply with this Part.
(2)In any proceedings for contravening subsection
(1), it shall be a defence for the accused, being a person other than the provider of credit, to show that he is a person whose business it is to publish or arrange for the publication of advertisements and that he received the advertisement in question for publication in the ordinary course of business and did not know and had no reason to suspect that its publication would constitute a contravention of subsection
(1).
(3)For the purposes of this section an advertisement published by displaying it shall be treated as published on every day on which it is displayed. Obligation on provider of financial accommodation to ensure advertisements comply with Part. 27.—
(1)Where the provider of a financial accommodation, in respect of any financial accommodation provided by him through a credit intermediary, has devised any part of an advertisement or supplied, or has been requested to supply, information in relation to it, but is not the advertiser, the provider shall ensure the advertisement displayed or published complies with this Part.
(2)In any proceedings for contravening this section it shall be a defence for the accused being the provider of a financial accommodation in relation to an advertisement which does not comply with this Part to show that it was displayed or published without his consent or connivance or that he made reasonable efforts to ensure that it complied with this Part or to prevent its publication. Regulations relating to advertising of financial accommodation. 28.—
(1)The Minister may, after consultation with the Director, the Minister for Finance and the Central Bank, by regulations from time to time make such further provision as he considers necessary for the purposes of this Part, with regard to the form or content of advertisements relating to the availability or the cost or the provision of credit to consumers and in doing so may amend or modify section 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 or 25 .
(2)Where the Minister proposes to make any regulations under this section relating to housing loans he shall consult the Minister for the Environment before making any such regulations. PART III Requirements Relating to Credit Agreements and Form and Contents thereof Application of Part III . 29.—This Part shall apply to all credit agreements other than housing loans. General requirements relating to contents of credit agreements. 30.—
(1)A credit agreement and any contract of guarantee relating thereto shall be made in writing and signed by the consumer and by or on behalf of all other parties to the agreement, and— (
  1. a)a copy of the agreement shall be— (
  2. i)handed personally to the consumer upon the making of the agreement, or (
  3. ii)delivered or sent to the consumer by the creditor within 10 days of the making of the agreement, and (
  4. b)in the case of any contract of guarantee relating to the agreement, a copy of the guarantee and the agreement shall be— (
  5. i)handed personally to the guarantor upon the making of the contract, or (
  6. ii)sent within 10 days of the making of any contract by the creditor to the guarantor.
(2)A credit agreement shall contain a statement in respect of the cooling-off period that the consumer— (
  1. a)has a right to withdraw from the agreement without penalty if the consumer gives written notice to this effect to the creditor within a period of 10 days of the date of receipt by the consumer of a copy of the agreement, or (
  2. b)may indicate that he does not wish to exercise this right by signing a statement to this effect, this signature to be separate from, and additional to, the consumer's signature in relation to any of the terms of the agreement.
(3)A credit agreement shall contain a statement of— (
  1. a)the names and addresses of all the parties to the agreement, and (
  2. b)any costs or penalties to which the consumer may become liable for any failure by the consumer to comply with the terms of the agreement.
(4)This section does not apply to credit in the form of advances on a current account, or on credit card accounts. Contents of credit agreements for cash loans. 31.—
(1)A credit agreement for a cash loan, other than an advance on a current account, or a credit card account shall contain a statement of the following— (
  1. a)the amount of the credit lent under the agreement, (
  2. b)the date the credit is to be advanced, (if known), (
  3. c)the amount of each repayment instalment, (
  4. d)the rate of interest charged and the APR, (
  5. e)the conditions under which the APR may be changed, (
  6. f)any charges not included in the calculation of the APR but which have to be paid by the borrower in certain given circumstances, (
  7. g)the number of repayment instalments, (
  8. h)the date, or the method of determining the date, upon which each repayment instalment is payable, (
  9. i)the total amount payable in respect of the loan, (
  10. j)the date of expiry of the loan, (
  11. k)the means and the cost of any termination by the borrower of the agreement before the final repayment instalment.
(2)A credit agreement operated by means of a credit card or a running account shall contain a statement of— (
  1. a)the amount of the credit limit, if any, (
  2. b)the rate of interest charged and the APR, (
  3. c)the terms of use and repayment, and (
  4. d)the means and the cost of termination of the agreement. Requirements relating to credit-sale agreements. 32.—
(1)Before any credit-sale agreement is entered into in respect of the sale of goods the seller shall state in writing the cash price to the prospective buyer, otherwise than in the agreement.
(2)Subsection
(1)shall be deemed to have been complied with— (
  1. a)if the buyer has inspected the goods or like goods and at the time of his inspection tickets or labels were attached to or displayed with the goods clearly stating the cash price, either of the goods as a whole or of all the different articles or sets of articles comprised therein, or (
  2. b)if the buyer has selected the goods by reference to a catalogue, price list or advertisement, which clearly stated the cash price either of the goods as a whole or of all the different articles or sets of articles comprised therein.
(3)A credit-sale agreement shall contain a statement of— (
  1. a)the total cost of credit, (
  2. b)the cash price of the goods to which the agreement relates, (
  3. c)the amount of each of the instalments by which the total cost of credit is to be paid, (
  4. d)the date, or the method of determining the date, upon which each instalment is payable, (
  5. e)the number of instalments, (
  6. f)the cost of any termination of the agreement by the buyer before final payment, and (
  7. g)where applicable— (
  8. i)the rate of interest charged and the APR, (
  9. ii)the conditions under which the APR may be changed.
(4)A credit-sale agreement shall contain a description of the goods to which the agreement relates sufficient to identify them.
(5)A credit-sale agreement shall contain in a prominent position the words “Credit-Sale Agreement”. Avoidance of certain provisions in credit-sale agreements. 33.—Any provision in any credit-sale agreement whereby— (
  1. a)any person acting on behalf of a seller in connection with the formation or conclusion of a credit-sale agreement is treated or is deemed to be the agent of the buyer, or (
  2. b)a seller is relieved from liability for the acts or defaults of any person acting on the seller's behalf in connection with the formation or conclusion of a credit-sale agreement, shall be void. Requirements relating to contents of contracts for services. 34.—A credit agreement which is a contract for the supply of services, other than financial services, shall contain— (
  3. a)a statement of— (
  4. i)the total cost of credit, (
  5. ii)the cash price of the services to which the agreement relates, (iii) the amount of each instalment by which the total cost of credit is to be paid, (
  6. iv)the date, or the method of determining the date, upon which each instalment is payable, (
  7. v)the means and the cost of any termination of the agreement by the consumer before final payment, and (
  8. vi)where applicable— (I) the rate of interest charged, and (II) the conditions under which the APR may be changed, and (
  9. b)a description of the services (including any goods) to be supplied to which the agreement relates. Advances on current account. 35.—
(1)A consumer shall be informed by the creditor at the time, or before, an agreement is made in respect of the granting of credit in the form of an advance on a current account granted by a credit institution, other than on credit card accounts, of— (
  1. a)the credit limit, if any, (
  2. b)the annual rate of interest and the charges applicable from the time the agreement is concluded and the conditions under which these may be amended, and (
  3. c)the procedure for determining the agreement.
(2)The information required under subsection
(1)shall be confirmed by the creditor in writing to the consumer within 10 days of the making of the agreement, and during the period of the agreement, the consumer shall be informed by the creditor of any change in the annual rate of interest or in the relevant charges at or before the time such change occurs and such information may be given in a statement of account or in an advertisement published in a national newspaper published and circulating in the State.
(3)(
  1. a)Where any sum is advanced to a consumer by way of an overdraft tacitly accepted by both parties which extends beyond a period of three consecutive months, he shall be informed of the annual rate of interest and other charges applicable and of any subsequent amendment of those charges. (
  2. b)The information required to be given in paragraph (
  3. a)may be given in a statement of account or in an advertisement published in a national newspaper published and circulating in the State. Notice of important information to be included in credit agreements. 36.—A credit agreement other than an overdraft facility, a credit-sale agreement or a moneylending agreement shall contain, on the front page of the agreement, a notice in the form set out in Part I of the Third Schedule or such other form as may be prescribed. Regulations. 37.—The Minister may make regulations in relation to the form and content of credit agreements and in so doing may amend or modify section 30 , 31 , 32
(3),
(4)or
(5), 34 or 35 . Enforceability. 38.—A creditor shall not be entitled to enforce a credit agreement or any contract of guarantee relating thereto, and no security given by the consumer in respect of money payable under the credit agreement or given by a guarantor in respect of money payable under such contract of guarantee as aforesaid shall be enforceable against the consumer or guarantor by any holder thereof, unless the requirements specified in this Part have been complied with: Provided that if a court is satisfied in any action that a failure to comply with any of the aforesaid requirements, other than section 30 , was not deliberate and has not prejudiced the consumer, and that it would be just and equitable to dispense with the requirement, the court may, subject to any conditions that it sees fit to impose, decide that the agreement shall be enforceable. Obligations on creditors to comply with Part III . 39.—A creditor being a credit institution, a moneylender or whose business or trade is or includes the sale of goods or supply of services who is a party to a credit agreement to which this Part applies shall ensure that the agreement complies with this Part and any regulations made under section 37 . PART IV Matters Arising During Currency of Agreements Assignment of creditor's or owner's rights. 40.—Where a creditor's or owner's rights under an agreement are assigned to a third person, the consumer shall be entitled to plead against that third person any defence which was available to him against the original creditor including set-off. Use of bills of exchange, etc. 41.—
(1)Where a bill of exchange or a promissory note is given to a creditor by a consumer as part of, or in connection with, a credit agreement, or is given as security for a credit agreement, the existence of the bill or note shall not affect the rights and protections available to the consumer by virtue of this Act.
(2)Where a bill of exchange or a promissory note is negotiated by the creditor to a third party, the consumer may, notwithstanding anything in the Bills of Exchange Act, 1882 , in any proceedings for the enforcement of the bill or note, plead against that third party any defence available to him against the creditor. Liability regarding goods and services. 42.—
(1)The existence of a credit agreement shall not in any way affect the rights of the consumer under the Act of 1980 against the supplier of goods or services purchased by means of such an agreement in cases where the goods or services are not supplied or are otherwise not in conformity with the contract for their supply.
(2)Where— (
  1. a)in order to buy goods or obtain services, a consumer enters into a credit agreement with a person other than the supplier of them, (
  2. b)the creditor and the supplier of the goods or services have a pre-existing agreement whereunder credit is made available exclusively by that creditor to customers of that supplier for the acquisition of goods or services from the supplier, (
  3. c)the consumer referred to in paragraph (
  4. a)obtains his credit pursuant to that pre-existing agreement, (
  5. d)the goods or services covered by the credit agreement are not supplied, or are supplied only in part, or are not in conformity with the contract for the supply of them, and (
  6. e)the consumer has pursued his remedies against the supplier but has failed to obtain the satisfaction to which he is entitled, the consumer shall have the right to take proceedings against the creditor.
(3)This section does not apply to housing loans. Duty to supply documents and information. 43.—
(1)Subject to this section, a creditor or an owner shall during the currency of the agreement provide, within 10 days of receipt of a written request by a consumer who is party to the agreement or if that consumer so requires any person specified by him in the request, a copy of the written agreement or a statement of— (
  1. a)the amount paid, (
  2. b)the amount, if any, due but unpaid, and the date and amount of each instalment that remains unpaid, and (
  3. c)the total amount outstanding and the date and amount of each outstanding instalment, under the agreement.
(2)A creditor or an owner shall not, without reasonable cause, fail to comply within 10 days with a request under subsection
(1).
(3)If the default described in subsection
(2)continues for a further period of 14 days, then while the default so continues, the creditor or the owner, as the case may be, shall not be entitled to enforce the agreement, or any right to recover goods, and any person shall not be entitled to enforce a security given under the agreement.
(4)Subsection
(1)does not apply to a request made less than 4 weeks after a previous request under that subsection relating to the same credit agreement which was complied with.
(5)The request referred to in subsection
(1)shall, subject to subsection
(6), be accompanied by a fee of £2 or such other amount as may stand specified for the time being in regulations.
(6)Subsection
(5)shall not apply where the request is in relation to a moneylending agreement.
(7)This section does not apply to a housing loan. Appropriation of payments. 44.—
(1)Subject to subsection
(3), where there are two or more agreements between a consumer and the same creditor or owner and where the consumer makes a payment which is not sufficient to discharge the amount then due under all the agreements, the consumer shall be entitled to appropriate the payment towards the agreements as he sees fit and, if he fails to do so, the payment shall, subject to subsection
(2), be appropriated by the creditor or owner, as the case may be, towards the agreements in proportion to the amounts due under the agreements.
(2)Where all the agreements to which subsection
(1)applies are hire-purchase agreements, and one-third of the hire-purchase price has been paid under each of the agreements, the owner may, if the hirer has failed to do so, appropriate the payment as he sees fit otherwise the payment shall, by virtue of subsection
(1), be appropriated towards the agreements in proportion to the amounts due under the agreements.
(3)This section does not apply where any of the agreements is a housing loan. Restrictions on written communications. 45.—
(1)A creditor, owner or a person acting on his behalf shall not send to a consumer any written communication relating to a credit agreement with that consumer unless the communication is sent in a sealed envelope having nothing written or printed thereon, other than— (
  1. a)the name and address of the consumer, and (
  2. b)at the discretion of the sender— (
  3. i)the words “personal” or “private”, and (
  4. ii)a P.O. Box number together with, if desired by the sender, the words “If undelivered please return to” or similar words.
(2)Subject to subsection
(3), a creditor, owner or a person acting on his behalf shall not send any written communication in connection with an agreement with that consumer to the consumer's employer or to any member of the consumer's family unless that employer or family member is a party to the agreement.
(3)Where the agreement referred to in subsection
(2)is a housing loan, the creditor or a person acting on his behalf may— (
  1. a)for the purposes of the Family Home Protection Act, 1976 , send any written communication connected with the agreement to the consumer's spouse, or (
  2. b)where the written consent of the consumer has been given, send any written communication connected with the agreement to any member of the consumer's family or to a person designated by the consumer. Visits and telephone calls. 46.—A creditor, owner or a person acting on his behalf shall not visit or telephone— (
  3. a)a consumer without his consent— (
  4. i)at his place of employment or business unless the consumer resides at that place and all reasonable efforts to make contact with him have failed, (
  5. ii)at any place, (I) between the hours of 9 o'clock in the evening on any week day and 9 o'clock in the morning on the following day, or (II) at any time on a Sunday or a public holiday (within the meaning of the Holidays (Employees) Act, 1973 ), (
  6. b)a consumer's employer or any member of the consumer's family unless that employer or family member is a party to the agreement, without the consent of the consumer, given in writing and separate from any other term of agreement, for any purposes connected with an agreement other than the service of a document in connection with legal proceedings. Excessive rates of charge for credit. 47.—
(1)A consumer or a person acting on the consumer's behalf may apply to the Circuit Court in whose Circuit the consumer resides or in which the agreement was made, for a declaration that the total cost of credit provided for in any agreement is excessive.
(2)Subject to this section, the Circuit Court may decide in any particular case coming before it, by an application under subsection
(1), that the total cost of credit provided for in any credit agreement is excessive.
(3)In making the decision referred to in subsection
(2)the court shall have regard to all relevant factors including— (
  1. a)interest rates prevailing at the time the agreement was made or, where applicable, interest rates prevailing at any time during the currency of the agreement, (
  2. b)the age, business competence and level of literacy and numeracy of the consumer, (
  3. c)the degree of risk involved for the creditor and the security provided, (
  4. d)the creditor's costs including the cost of collecting repayments, and (
  5. e)the extent of competition for the type of credit concerned.
(4)This section does not apply to any credit agreement relating to credit advanced by a credit institution or a mortgage lender.
(5)In any case where the application under subsection
(1)is made by a consumer or a person acting on the consumer's behalf the Circuit Court shall not make an order without first affording the Director the opportunity to be heard on the matter. Power of court to re-open credit agreement where charge is excessive. 48.—
(1)Where the Circuit Court has decided by virtue of section 47 , that the total cost of credit is excessive, it may re-open the credit agreement so as to do justice between the parties and may decide to do any one or more of the following: (
  1. a)relieve the consumer from payment of any sum in excess of the sum adjudged by the court to be fairly due in respect of such total cost of credit; (
  2. b)set aside, either wholly or in part the agreement against the consumer; (
  3. c)revise or alter the terms of the agreement; or (
  4. d)order the repayment to the consumer of the whole or part of any sums paid.
(2)Where an agreement to which subsection
(1)relates is a moneylending agreement the court may also order the Director to revoke, suspend or alter the moneylending licence of the holder concerned either immediately or as from such date as the court may decide. Making demands and threats in relation to unenforceable agreements. 49.—
(1)A person shall not make a demand for payment or assert a present or prospective right to payment in respect of an agreement which is unenforceable under this Act.
(2)A person shall not, with a view to obtaining payment in respect of an agreement which is unenforceable under this Act— (
  1. a)threaten to bring any legal proceedings, (
  2. b)place or cause to be placed the name of any person on a list of defaulters or debtors or threaten to do so, or (
  3. c)invoke or cause to be invoked any other collection procedure or threaten to do so.
(3)In any proceedings for an offence under this section, it shall be a defence for the person to show that he had reasonable cause to believe that there was a right to payment. Cooling-off period. 50.—
(1)Subject to subsections
(2)and
(4), a consumer may withdraw from an agreement within 10 days of receiving it or a copy thereof (“the cooling-off period”) by giving written notice to this effect to the creditor or the owner, as the case may be.
(2)A consumer may forego his right to a cooling-off period in any credit agreement by signing a statement to this effect separately from any other term of the agreement.
(3)A statement by which a consumer forgoes the right to a cooling-off period shall carry in a prominent position: “WARNING THIS WAIVER MEANS YOU ARE GIVING UP YOUR RIGHT TO A 10 DAY PERIOD TO RECONSIDER YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE AGREEMENT.”.
(4)This section does not apply to a housing loan or credit availed of by means of a credit card or an overdraft facility offered by a credit institution. PART V Matters Arising on Termination of Agreements or on Default Application of Part V . 51.—This Part shall apply to any agreement other than a housing loan. Indebtedness may be discharged before time fixed by agreement. 52.—
(1)A consumer shall at any time be entitled to discharge his obligations under an agreement before the time fixed by the agreement for termination, by giving notice of termination in writing to the creditor or the owner, as the case may be, of his intention to determine the agreement and where he does so he shall be allowed by the creditor or owner, as the case may be, a reduction in the total cost of credit under the agreement calculated, subject to subsection
(2), in accordance with any method or formula approved for that purpose, and different methods or formulae may be approved for different classes of agreements— (
  1. a)by the Central Bank in the case of an agreement where the creditor or the owner, as the case may be, is a credit institution, or (
  2. b)by the Director in any other case.
(2)The Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, and after consultation with the Central Bank, may prescribe a method or formula for the reduction under subsection
(1)in relation to agreements generally or any class of agreement, which shall be in lieu of any method or formula approved of under that subsection. Reduction where amount owed becomes payable before time fixed by agreement. 53.—
(1)Where, for any reason, the amount owed by a consumer under an agreement becomes payable before the time fixed by the agreement, or any sum becomes payable by him before the time so fixed, the consumer shall be entitled to a reduction in the total cost of credit calculated, subject to subsection
(2), in accordance with any method or formula approved for that purpose, and different methods or formulae may be approved for different classes of agreements— (
  1. a)by the Central Bank in the case of an agreement where the creditor or the owner, as the case may be, is a credit institution, or (
  2. b)by the Director in any other case.
(2)The Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, and after consultation with the Central Bank, may prescribe a method or formula for the reduction under subsection
(1)in relation to agreements generally or any class of agreement, which shall be in lieu of any method or formula approved of under that subsection. Limitation on right of enforcement. 54.—
(1)A creditor or an owner shall not enforce a provision of an agreement by— (
  1. a)demanding early payment of any sum, (
  2. b)recovering possession of any goods (save where the goods are in imminent danger of being damaged or stolen), or (
  3. c)treating any right conferred on the consumer by the agreement as determined, restricted or deferred, unless he has served on the consumer, at least 10 days before he proposes to take any action, a notice which shall specify the following: (
  4. i)details of the agreement sufficient to identify it; (
  5. ii)the name and address of the creditor or owner, as the case may be; (iii) the name and address of the consumer; (
  6. iv)the term of the agreement to be enforced; and (
  7. v)a statement of the action he intends to take to enforce the term of the agreement, the manner and circumstances in which he intends to take such action and the date on or after which he intends to take such action.
(2)A creditor or an owner shall not, by reason of any breach by a consumer of an agreement— (
  1. a)determine the agreement, (
  2. b)demand early payment of any sum, (
  3. c)recover possession of the goods, (
  4. d)treat any right conferred on the consumer by the agreement as determined, restricted or deferred, or (
  5. e)enforce any security, unless he has served on the consumer, not less than 10 days before he proposes to take any action, a notice which shall specify the following: (
  6. i)details of the agreement sufficient to identify it; (
  7. ii)the name and address of the creditor or owner, as the case may be; (iii) the name and address of the consumer; (
  8. iv)the nature of the alleged breach; (
  9. v)either— (I) if the breach is capable of remedy, what action is required to remedy it and the date before which that action is to be taken, which date shall be not less than 21 days after the date of service of the notice, or (II) if the breach is not capable of remedy, the sum, if any, required to be paid as compensation for the breach and the date before which it is to be paid, which date shall be not less than 21 days after the date of service of the notice; and (
  10. vi)information about the consequences of failure to comply with the notice.
(3)If the consumer takes the action specified under subparagraphs (v) (I) or (v) (II) of subsection
(2), before the date specified for that purpose in the notice, the breach shall be treated as not having occurred, in any records maintained for information on the consumer's credit record.
(4)Notwithstanding this section, a creditor or an owner may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction in any particular case to have the provisions of this section dispensed with where the court is satisfied that it would be just and equitable to do so. Unjustified enrichment. 55.—Where a creditor or an owner is compensated or recovers possession of goods in any action by virtue of this Act the court shall ensure that the compensation or repossession does not entail any unjustified enrichment of the creditor or the owner, as the case may be. PART VI Hire-Purchase Agreements Application of Part VI . 56.—This Part shall apply to hire-purchase agreements. Requirement to state cash price. 57.—
(1)Before any hire-purchase agreement is entered into in respect of any goods, the owner shall state in writing the cash price to the prospective hirer, other than in the agreement.
(2)Subsection
(1)shall be deemed to have been complied with— (
  1. a)if the hirer has inspected the goods or like goods and at the time of his inspection tickets or labels were attached to or displayed with the goods clearly stating the cash price, either of the goods as a whole or of all the different articles or sets of articles comprised therein, or (
  2. b)if the hirer has selected the goods by reference to a catalogue, price list or advertisement which clearly stated the cash price of the goods as a whole or of all the different articles or sets of articles comprised therein. Contents of hire-purchase agreements. 58.—
(1)A hire-purchase agreement and any contract of guarantee relating thereto shall be made in writing and signed by the hirer and by or on behalf of all other parties to the agreement, and— (
  1. a)a copy of the agreement shall be— (
  2. i)handed personally to the hirer upon the making of the agreement, or (
  3. ii)delivered or sent to the hirer by the owner within 10 days of the making of the agreement, and (
  4. b)in the case of any contract of guarantee relating to the agreement, a copy of the guarantee and the agreement shall be— (
  5. i)handed personally to the guarantor upon the making of the contract, or (
  6. ii)sent within 10 days of the making of any contract by the seller to the guarantor.
(2)A hire-purchase agreement shall contain a statement of— (
  1. a)the hire-purchase price, (
  2. b)the cash price of the goods to which the agreement relates, (
  3. c)the amount of each of the instalments by which the hire-purchase price is to be paid, (
  4. d)the date, or the method of determining the date, upon which each instalment is payable, (
  5. e)the number of instalments, (
  6. f)the names and addresses of all parties to the agreement at the time of its making, and (
  7. g)any costs or penalties to which the hirer will become liable for any failure by the hirer to comply with the terms of the agreement.
(3)A hire-purchase agreement shall contain a list of the goods to which the agreement relates sufficient to identify them.
(4)A hire-purchase agreement shall contain a notice which is at least as prominent as the rest of the contents of the agreement, in the terms specified in the Fifth Schedule .
(5)A hire-purchase agreement shall contain in respect of the cooling-off period a statement that the hirer— (
  1. a)has a right to withdraw from the agreement without penalty if the hirer gives written notice to this effect to the seller within a period of 10 days of the date of receipt by the hirer of a copy of the agreement, or (
  2. b)may indicate that he does not wish to exercise this right by signing a statement to this effect, this signature to be separate from, and additional to, the hirer's signature in relation to any of the terms of the agreement.
(6)A hire-purchase agreement shall contain a statement to the effect that a hirer is obliged to give the owner information under section 69 as to the whereabouts of the goods to which the agreement relates.
(7)A hire-purchase agreement shall contain in a prominent position the words “Hire-purchase agreement”. Enforceability. 59.—An owner shall not be entitled to enforce a hire-purchase agreement or any contract of guarantee relating thereto or any right to recover the goods from the hirer, and no security given by the hirer in respect of money payable under the hire-purchase agreement or given by a guarantor in respect of money payable under such contract of guarantee as aforesaid shall be enforceable against the hirer or guarantor by any holder thereof, unless the requirements specified in sections 57 and 58 have been complied with: Provided that if a court is satisfied in any action that a failure to comply with any of the aforesaid requirements, other than section 58
(1), was not deliberate and has not prejudiced the hirer, and that it would be just and equitable to dispense with the requirement, the court may, subject to any conditions that it sees fit to impose, decide that the agreement shall be enforceable. Regulations. 60.—The Minister may make regulations in relation to the form and content of hire-purchase agreements and in so doing may amend or modify section 58 or the Fifth Schedule . Obligation on owners to comply with sections 58 and 60 . 61.—An owner who is a party to a hire-purchase agreement shall ensure that the contents of the agreement comply with section 58 and any regulations made under section 60 . Avoidance of certain provisions in hire-purchase agreements. 62.—
(1)Subject to subsection
(2), any provision in any hire-purchase agreement whereby— (
  1. a)an owner or a person acting on the owner's behalf is authorised to enter upon any premises for the purpose of taking possession of goods which have been let under a hire-purchase agreement, (
  2. b)the right conferred on a hirer by this Part to determine a hire-purchase agreement is excluded or restricted, (
  3. c)any liability in addition to the liability imposed by this Part is imposed on a hirer by reason of the termination of the hire-purchase agreement by the hirer under this Part, (
  4. d)a hirer, after the determination of the hire-purchase agreement or the bailment in any manner whatsoever, is subject to a liability which exceeds the liability to which he would have been subject if the agreement had been determined by him under this Part, (
  5. e)any person acting on behalf of an owner or seller in connection with the formation or conclusion of a hire-purchase agreement is treated as or deemed to be the agent of the hirer, or (
  6. f)an owner or seller is relieved from liability for the acts or defaults of any person acting on his behalf in connection with the formation or conclusion of a hire-purchase agreement, shall be void.
(2)Subsection
(1)does not apply in relation to a provision in a hire-purchase agreement whereby an owner of a motor vehicle which has been let under a hire-purchase agreement or a person acting on his behalf— (
  1. a)authorised to enter premises (other than a house used as a dwelling or any building within the curtilage thereof) for the purpose of taking possession of the motor vehicle, or (
  2. b)relieved from liability for any such entry. Rights of hirer to determine hire-purchase agreement. 63.—
(1)A hirer shall at any time before the final payment under a hire-purchase agreement falls due, be entitled to determine the agreement by giving notice of termination in writing to the owner or any person entitled or authorised to receive the sums payable under the agreement.
(2)Where a hire-purchase agreement has been determined under this section, the hirer shall, without prejudice to any liability which has accrued before termination, have the option to either— (
  1. a)pay the amount, if any, by which one-half of the hire-purchase price exceeds the total of the sums paid and the sums due in respect of the hire-purchase price immediately before termination, or such less amount as may be specified in the agreement, or (
  2. b)purchase the goods by paying the difference between the amount already paid under the agreement and the hire-purchase price after the latter amount has been reduced in accordance with section 52 or 53 , or such lesser amount as may be specified in the agreement.
(3)Where a hire-purchase agreement has been determined under this section, the hirer shall, if he has failed to take reasonable care of the goods, be liable to pay for the failure.
(4)Where a hirer, having determined a hire-purchase agreement under this section, wrongfully retains possession of the goods, then in any action brought by the owner to recover possession of the goods from the hirer, the court shall, unless it is satisfied that having regard to the circumstances it would not be just and equitable so to do, order the goods to be delivered to the owner, without giving the hirer the option to pay the value of the goods.
(5)Nothing in this section shall prejudice any right of a hirer to determine a hire-purchase agreement otherwise than by virtue of this section. Restriction on right of owner to recover possession of goods otherwise than by proceedings. 64.—
(1)Subject to subsection
(3), where goods have been let under a hire-purchase agreement and one-third of the hire-purchase price has been paid or tendered by or on behalf of the hirer or any guarantor, the owner shall not enforce any right to recover possession of the goods from the hirer otherwise than by legal proceedings.
(2)If an owner recovers possession of goods in contravention of subsection
(1), the hire-purchase agreement, if not previously determined, shall determine, and— (
  1. a)the hirer shall be released from all liability under the agreement, and shall be entitled to recover from the owner all sums paid by the hirer under the agreement or under any security given by him in respect thereof, and (
  2. b)any guarantor shall be entitled to recover from the owner in an action all sums paid by him under the contract of guarantee or under any security given by him in respect thereof.
(3)Where the owner of a motor vehicle let under a hire-purchase agreement has commenced legal proceedings to recover possession of the vehicle from the hirer and it has been abandoned or left unattended in circumstances which have resulted or are likely to result in damage to the vehicle, the owner shall be entitled to enforce a right to recover possession of the vehicle and to retain possession thereof pending the outcome of the proceedings.
(4)If a hirer refuses to give up possession of goods to an owner whose right to recover possession is restricted by subsection
(1), the hirer shall not be liable, by reason only of the refusal, for conversion of the goods.
(5)In this section a reference to the hire-purchase price includes any installation charge provided for in the hire-purchase agreement. Hire-purchase price. 65.—
(1)In this Part “hire-purchase price” means the total sum payable by the hirer under a hire-purchase agreement in order to complete the purchase of the goods to which the agreement relates, exclusive of any sum payable as a penalty or as compensation or damages for a breach of the agreement.
(2)Where an owner has agreed that any part of the hire-purchase price may be discharged otherwise than by payment of cash, any such discharge shall for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to be a payment of that part of the hire-purchase price.
(3)Any sum payable by the hirer under a hire-purchase agreement by way of a deposit or other initial payment, or credited or to be credited to the hirer under such an agreement or account of any such deposit or payment, whether that sum is to be or has been paid to the owner or to any other person or is to be or has been discharged by a payment of cash or by the transfer or delivery of goods or by any other means shall form part of the hire-purchase price. Powers of court in actions for recovery of possession of goods. 66.—
(1)Where legal proceedings by virtue of section 64 have been commenced the owner shall not enforce or attempt to enforce payment other than in those proceedings or any negotiations connected with those proceedings.
(2)Pending the hearing of an action, or any settlement, in relation to such proceedings the court may, on the application of the owner, make such order as it thinks fit for the protection of the goods.
(3)On hearing the action, the court may, without prejudice to any other power— (
  1. a)order the delivery of the goods to the owner, (
  2. b)order such delivery but postpone its operation subject to such conditions as the court thinks fit, or (
  3. c)order— (
  4. i)the transfer to the hirer of title to part of the goods, and (
  5. ii)delivery of the remainder to the owner, subject to such conditions as the court thinks fit.
(4)Where the operation of an order is postponed under subsection
(3)(
  1. b)the agreement shall continue to operate except that— (
  2. a)no further sum shall become payable on account of the unpaid balance except as provided for in the order, and (
  3. b)the court may modify the terms of the agreement as it thinks fit.
(5)Where an owner has recovered a part of the goods let under a hire-purchase agreement, and the recovery was effected in contravention of section 64 , the provisions of this section shall not apply in relation to any action by the owner to recover the goods. Liability for failure to take reasonable care of goods. 67.—Where a hire-purchase agreement has been determined under section 63 , the hirer shall, if he has failed to take reasonable care of the goods, be liable to pay damages for the failure. Liability of guarantor where goods are returned to the owner. 68.—Where an owner has recovered possession of goods let under a hire-purchase agreement, whether as a result of legal proceedings or otherwise, the liability of the guarantor shall be limited to the amount which would have been payable by the hirer if he had determined the agreement under section 63 . Duty of hirer to give information as to whereabouts of goods. 69.—Where by virtue of a hire-purchase agreement a hirer is under a duty to keep the goods comprised in the agreement in his possession or control, the hirer shall, within 10 days of receipt of a request in writing from the owner inform the owner where the goods are at the time when the information is given or, if it is sent by post, at the time of the posting. Sale by dealer of goods let to him under a hire-purchase agreement. 70.—Where goods of any class or description are let under a hire-purchase agreement to a dealer who deals in goods of that class or description and the dealer sells the goods when ostensibly acting in the ordinary course of his business, the sale shall be valid as if the dealer were expressly authorised by the owner to make the sale: Provided that the buyer acts in good faith and has not at the time of the sale notice that the dealer has no authority to make the sale. Evidence of adverse detention in actions by owners to recover possession of the goods. 71.—
(1)Where, in an action by an owner of goods which have been let under a hire-purchase agreement to enforce a right to recover possession of the goods from the hirer, the owner proves that, before the commencement of the action and after the right to recover possession of the goods accrued, the owner made a request in writing to the hirer to surrender the goods, the hirer's possession of the goods shall, for the purpose of the owner's claim to recover possession thereof, be deemed to be adverse to the owner.
(2)Nothing in subsection
(1)shall affect a claim for adverse conversion. Successive hire-purchase agreements between the same parties. 72.—Where goods have been let under a hire-purchase agreement at any time after one-third of the hire-purchase price has been paid or tendered the owner makes a further hire-purchase agreement with the hirer comprising the goods, the provisions of sections 64 and 66 shall have effect in relation to that further agreement as from its making. Hirer's refusal to surrender goods not to be conversion in certain cases. 73.—If, whilst by virtue of this Part the enforcement by an owner of a right to recover possession of goods from a hirer is subject to any restriction, the hirer refuses to give up possession of the goods to the owner, the hirer shall not, by reason only of the refusal, be liable to the owner for the conversion of the goods. Implied terms as to title. 74.—
(1)In every hire-purchase agreement, other than one to which subsection
(2)applies, there shall be— (
  1. a)an implied condition on the part of the owner that he will have a right to sell the goods at the time when the property is to pass, and (
  2. b)an implied warranty that the goods are free, and will remain free until the time when the property is to pass, from any charge or encumbrance not disclosed to the hirer before the agreement is made and that the hirer shall have and enjoy quiet possession of the goods except so far as it may be disturbed by any person entitled to the benefit of any charge or encumbrance so disclosed.
(2)In a hire-purchase agreement, in the case of which there appears from the agreement or is to be inferred from the circumstances of the agreement an intention that the owner should transfer only such title as he or a third person may have, there shall be— (
  1. a)an implied warranty that all charges or encumbrances known to the owner have been disclosed to the hirer before the agreement is made, and (
  2. b)an implied warranty that neither— (
  3. i)the owner, nor (
  4. ii)in a case where the parties to the agreement intend that any title which may be transferred shall be only such title as a third person may have, that person, nor (iii) anyone claiming through or under the owner or that third person otherwise than under a charge or encumbrance disclosed to the hirer before the agreement is made, will disturb the hirer's quiet possession of the goods.
(3)Nothing in this section shall prejudice the operation of any other enactment or rule of law whereby any condition or warranty is to be implied by a hire-purchase agreement. Letting by description. 75.—
(1)Where under a hire-purchase agreement goods are let by description, there shall be an implied condition that the goods will correspond with the description, and if under the agreement the goods are let by reference to a sample as well as a description it is not sufficient that the bulk of the goods corresponds with the sample if the goods do not also correspond with the description.
(2)Goods shall not be prevented from being let by description by reason only that, being exposed for sale or hire, they are selected by the hirer.
(3)A reference to goods on a label or other descriptive matter accompanying goods exposed for sale or hire may constitute or form part of a description. Implied undertakings as to quality or fitness. 76.—
(1)Except as provided by this section and subject to the provisions of any other enactment, there is no implied condition or warranty as to the quality or fitness for any particular purpose of goods let under a hire-purchase agreement.
(2)Where the owner lets goods under a hire-purchase agreement in the course of a business, there is an implied condition that the goods are of merchantable quality within the meaning of section 14
(3)of the Sale of Goods Act, 1893 , except that there shall be no such condition— (
  1. a)as regards defects specifically drawn to the hirer's attention before the agreement is made, or (
  2. b)if the hirer examines the goods before the agreement is made, as regards defects which that examination ought to have revealed.
(3)Where the owner lets goods under a hire-purchase agreement in the course of a business and the hirer, expressly or by implication, makes known to the owner or the person by whom any antecedent negotiations are conducted, any particular purpose for which the goods are being hired, there shall be an implied condition that the goods supplied under the agreement are reasonably fit for that purpose, whether or not that is a purpose for which such goods are commonly supplied, except where the circumstances show that the hirer does not rely, or that it is unreasonable for him to rely, on the skill or judgment of the owner or that person.
(4)An implied condition or warranty as to quality or fitness for a particular purpose may be annexed to a hire-purchase agreement by usage.
(5)The foregoing provisions of this section apply to a hire-purchase agreement made by a person who in the course of a business is acting as agent for the owner as they apply to an agreement made by the owner, except where the owner is not letting in the course of a business and either the hirer knows that fact or reasonable steps are taken to bring it to the notice of the hirer before the agreement is made. Samples. 77.—Where under a hire-purchase agreement goods are let by reference to a sample, there shall be an implied condition— (a) that the bulk will correspond with the sample in quality, and (b) that the hirer will have a reasonable opportunity of comparing the bulk with the sample, and (c) that the goods will be free from any defect, rendering them unmerchantable within the meaning of section 14
(3)of the Sale of Goods Act, 1893 , which would not be apparent on reasonable examination of the sample. Statements purporting to restrict rights of hirer. 78.—
(1)Subsections
(2)and
(3)apply to any statement likely to be taken as indicating that a right or the exercise of a right conferred by or a liability arising by virtue of section 74 , 75 , 76 or 77 is restricted or excluded otherwise than under section 79 .
(2)A person in the course of business shall not do any of the following things in relation to a statement to which subsection
(1)refers: (
  1. a)display on any part of any premises a notice that includes any such statement; (
  2. b)publish or cause to be published an advertisement which contains any such statement; (
  3. c)supply goods bearing, or goods in a container bearing, any such statement; or (
  4. d)otherwise furnish or cause to be furnished a document including any such statement.
(3)For the purposes of this section a statement to the effect that goods will not be exchanged, or that money will not be refunded, or that only credit notes will be given for goods returned, shall be treated as a statement to which subsection
(1)refers unless it is so clearly qualified that it cannot be construed as applicable in circumstances in which the hirer may be seeking to exercise a right conferred by any provision of a section mentioned in subsection
(1).
(4)A person in the course of a business shall not furnish to a hirer goods bearing, or goods in a container bearing, or any document including, any statement, irrespective of its legal effect, which sets out, limits or describes rights conferred on a hirer or liabilities to the hirer in relation to the goods or any statement likely to be taken as such a statement, unless that statement is accompanied by a clear and conspicuous declaration that the contractual rights which the hirer enjoys by virtue of section 74 , 75 , 76 or 77 are in no way prejudiced by the relevant statement. Exclusion of implied terms and conditions. 79.—
(1)An express condition or warranty does not negative a condition or warranty implied by this Part unless inconsistent therewith.
(2)A term of a hire-purchase agreement or any other agreement exempting from all or any of the provisions of section 74 shall be void.
(3)A term of a hire-purchase agreement or any other agreement exempting from all or any of the provisions of section 75 , 76 or 77 shall be void and shall not be enforceable unless it is shown that it is fair and reasonable.
(4)Subsection
(3)shall not prevent a court from holding, in accordance with any rule of law, that a term which purports to exclude or restrict any of the provisions of section 75 , 76 or 77 is not a term of the hire-purchase agreement.
(5)Any reference in this section to a term exempting from all or any of the provisions of any section of this Part is a reference to a term which purports to exclude or restrict, or has the effect of excluding or restricting, the operation of all or any of the provisions of that section, or the exercise of a right conferred by any provision of that section, or any liability of the owner for breach of a condition or warranty implied by any provision of that section. Liability of persons conducting negotiations antecedent to hire-purchase agreements. 80.—Where goods are let under a hire-purchase agreement to a hirer, the person, if any, by whom the antecedent negotiations were conducted shall be deemed to be a party to the agreement and that person and the owner shall, jointly and severally, be answerable to the hirer for breach of the agreement and for any misrepresentations made by that person with respect to the goods in the course of the antecedent negotiations. Application of sections 12 and 15 to 19 of Act of 1980 to hire-purchase agreements. 81.—Where goods are let under a hire-purchase agreement, section 12 (which relates to warranties for spare parts and servicing) of the Act of 1980 and sections 15 to 19 (which relate to guarantees and undertakings) of the Act of 1980 shall have effect as if a contract for the sale of goods were a hire-purchase agreement, the buyer were the hirer and the person by whom the antecedent negotiations were conducted were the seller. Application of section 13 of Act of 1980 to hire-purchase of motor vehicles. 82.—Where a motor vehicle is let under a hire-purchase agreement, section 13 (which relates to an implied condition on sale of motor vehicles) of the Act of 1980 shall have effect as if a contract for sale were a hire-purchase agreement, the buyer were the hirer and the person by whom the antecedent negotiations were conducted were the seller, and the owner shall, jointly with that person and severally, be answerable to the hirer for breach of the implied condition. Antecedent negotiations and representations. 83.—
(1)In this Part “antecedent negotiations”, in relation to a hire-purchase agreement, means any negotiations or arrangements with the hirer whereby he was induced to make the agreement or which otherwise promoted the transaction to which the agreement relates; and any reference to the person by whom any antecedent negotiations were conducted is a reference to that person by whom the negotiations or arrangements in question were conducted or made in the course of a business carried on by him.
(2)(
  1. a)For the purposes of this Part any negotiations conducted or arrangements or representations made by a servant or agent, if conducted or made by him in the course of his employment or agency, shall be treated as conducted or made by his employer or principal; and anything received by a servant or agent, if received by him in the course of his employment or agency, shall be treated as received by his employer or principal. (
  2. b)In this subsection “representations” includes any statement or undertaking, whether constituting a condition or a warranty or not, and references to making representations shall be construed accordingly. PART VII Consumer-Hire Agreements Contents of consumer-hire agreements. 84.—
(1)A consumer-hire agreement and any contract of guarantee relating thereto shall be made in writing and signed by the hirer and by or on behalf of all other parties to the agreement, and— (
  1. a)a copy of the agreement shall be— (
  2. i)handed personally to the hirer upon the making of the agreement, or (
  3. ii)delivered or sent to the buyer by the owner within 10 days of the making of the agreement, and (
  4. b)in case of any contract of guarantee relating to the agreement, a copy of the guarantee and the agreement shall be— (
  5. i)handed personally to the guarantor upon the making of the contract, or (
  6. ii)sent within 10 days of the making of any contract by the seller to the guarantor.
(2)A consumer-hire agreement shall contain a statement of— (
  1. a)the cash price of the goods to which the agreement relates, (
  2. b)the amount of each instalment to be paid by the hirer under the agreement, (
  3. c)the date, or the method of determining the date, upon which each instalment is payable, (
  4. d)where the agreement is for a specified period— (
  5. i)the number of instalments, and (
  6. ii)the total amount payable under the agreement (including taxes), (
  7. e)the name and address of the supplier of the goods to which the agreement relates, (
  8. f)any additional costs to be paid, (
  9. g)the cost of any early termination by the hirer of the agreement, (
  10. h)the names and addresses of all parties to the agreement at the time of its making, and (
  11. i)any costs or penalties to which the hirer will become liable for any failure by the hirer to comply with the terms of the agreement.
(3)A consumer-hire agreement shall contain a list of the goods to which the agreement relates sufficient to identify them.
(4)A consumer-hire agreement shall contain a notice, which is at least as prominent as the rest of the contents of the agreement, to the effect that the agreement is for the letting of goods which remain the property of the owner.
(5)A consumer-hire agreement shall contain, in respect of the cooling-off period, a statement that the hirer— (
  1. a)has a right to withdraw from the agreement without penalty if the hirer gives written notice to this effect to the seller within a period of 10 days of the date of receipt by the hirer of a copy of the agreement, or (
  2. b)may indicate that he does not wish to exercise this right by signing a statement to this effect, this signature to be separate from, and additional to, the hirer's signature in relation to any of the terms of the agreement.
(6)A consumer-hire agreement shall contain a statement to the effect that a hirer is obliged to give the owner information under section 91 as to the whereabouts of the goods to which the agreement relates.
(7)A consumer-hire agreement shall contain in a prominent position the words “Consumer-hire agreement”. Enforceability. 85.—An owner shall not be entitled to enforce a consumer-hire agreement or any contract of guarantee relating thereto or any right to recover the goods from the hirer, and no security given by the hirer in respect of money payable under the consumer-hire agreement or given by a guarantor in respect of money payable under such contract of guarantee as aforesaid shall be enforceable against the hirer or guarantor by any holder thereof, unless the requirements specified in section 84 have been complied with: Provided that if a court is satisfied in any action that a failure to comply with any of the aforesaid requirements, other than section 84
(1), was not deliberate and has not prejudiced the hirer, and that it would be just and equitable to dispense with the requirement, the court may, subject to any conditions that it sees fit to impose, decide that the agreement shall be enforceable. Regulations. 86.—The Minister may make regulations in relation to the form and content of consumer-hire agreements and in so doing may amend or modify section 84 . Obligation on owners to comply with sections 84 and 86 . 87.—An owner who is a party to a consumer-hire agreement shall ensure that the contents of the agreement comply with section 84 and any regulations made under section 86 . Application of sections 75 to 83 to consumer-hire agreements. 88.—Where goods are let under a consumer-hire agreement, the provisions of sections 75 to 83 shall apply to the agreement as if it were a hire-purchase agreement and in every such agreement there is an implied warranty that the goods are free, and will remain free, from any charge or encumbrance not disclosed, before the agreement is made, to the person taking the goods and that that person will enjoy quiet possession of the goods except so far as it may be disturbed by any person entitled to the benefit of any charge or encumbrance so disclosed. Right of hirer to determine consumer-hire agreement. 89.—
(1)A hirer shall, at any time, be entitled to determine a consumer-hire agreement by giving notice of termination to the owner or any person entitled to receive the sums payable under the agreement.
(2)Where a notice is given under subsection
(1)the agreement shall be determined after the expiration of the period of 3 months (or such lesser period as may be specified in the agreement) from the date of receipt of the notice. Hirer to take reasonable care of goods. 90.—A hirer shall take all reasonable care of goods which are let to him under a consumer-hire agreement and shall be liable to the owner if he fails to take such care. Duty of hirer to give information as to whereabouts of goods. 91.—A hirer shall, within 10 days of receipt of a request in writing from the owner of the goods let to the hirer under a consumer-hire agreement, inform the owner where the goods are at the time when the information is given or, if it is sent by post, at the time of posting. PART VIII Provisions Relating to Moneylending Application of Part VIII . 92.—This Part shall apply to moneylending agreements or to any transaction which, whatever its form may be, is substantially one of moneylending. Moneylender's licence. 93.—
(1)The Director, having considered any objection to the granting of a licence, may grant to a person a licence (“a moneylender's licence”) upon such terms and conditions as he sees fit authorising that person to engage in the business of moneylending in any district court district or in any particular district or part thereof upon application to the Director in that behalf.
(2)A person who intends to apply to the Director for a moneylender's licence shall before making such application cause to be published, in any national or local newspaper published in the State and circulating in the district court district that the applicant intends to engage or engages in the business of moneylending, notice of his intention.
(3)(
  1. a)An application for a moneylender's licence shall be in writing and in such form as the Director may determine and shall contain— (
  2. i)the true name and the business name (if any) of the applicant, (
  3. ii)the name under which the applicant intends to engage in or engages in the business of moneylending, (iii) the address of any premises in which the applicant proposes to engage or engages in the business of moneylending, (
  4. iv)an itemised statement of the proposed total cost of credit, (
  5. v)details of collection and all other charges not included therein, (
  6. vi)details of the applicant's terms and conditions, (vii) the name of any district court district in which the applicant proposes to engage or engages in the business of moneylending, (viii) a copy of any advertisement placed by the applicant as required under subsection
(2), (
  1. ix)such other information as the Director may reasonably require. (
  2. b)An application for a moneylender's licence shall be accompanied by— (
  3. i)a fee of £1,000 for the applicant to engage in the business of moneylending in one district court district, and (
  4. ii)a further fee of £500 in respect of each additional district court district in which the applicant proposes to engage in the business of moneylending.
(4)The fees referred to in subsection
(3)may be varied by regulations.
(5)The fees referred to in subsection
(3)shall not be refundable in whole or in part save at the discretion of the Director.
(6)A person shall not wilfully give any information which is false or misleading in respect of an application for a moneylender's licence.
(7)A moneylender's licence shall be valid for the period of 12 months commencing on the date specified therein and shall expire at the end of that period.
(8)A moneylender's licence shall state— (
  1. a)the true name and business name (if any) of the holder, (
  2. b)the name under which the holder is authorised by the licence to engage in the business of moneylending, (
  3. c)the address of the business premises of the holder, and (
  4. d)the district court district or districts in which the holder is authorised to engage in the business of moneylending in respect of which the licence is granted, (
  5. e)an itemised statement of the APR to be charged in relation to moneylending agreements by the holder, (
  6. f)details of collection and other charges not included therein, (
  7. g)statement of the licence holder's terms and conditions, and (
  8. h)any restrictions to the licence.
(9)The holder of a moneylender's licence shall only engage in the business of moneylending in the name specified in the holder's licence.
(10)The Director may refuse to grant a moneylender's licence on one or more of the following grounds that: (
  1. a)the applicant or any business with which he was connected was, during the previous 5 years, convicted of an offence for contravening section 98 , (
  2. b)the Circuit Court has, during the previous 2 years, decided pursuant to section 47 in relation to an agreement between the applicant and a consumer that the total cost of credit was excessive, (
  3. c)the applicant is the holder of— (
  4. i)a bookmaker's licence issued under the Betting Act, 1931 , (
  5. ii)a licence for the sale of intoxicating liquor granted under the Licensing Acts, 1833 to 1994, (iii) a gaming licence issued under the Gaming and Lotteries Act, 1956 , or (
  6. iv)a pawnbroker's licence granted under the Pawnbrokers Act, 1964 , as amended by this Act, (
  7. d)the applicant has failed to provide a current Revenue tax clearance certificate in respect of himself or his business, (
  8. e)the applicant or any person responsible or proposed to be responsible for the management of his business in relation to moneylending is by order of a court disqualified from holding a licence, (
  9. f)the applicant is not or is no longer, in the opinion of the Director, a fit and proper person to carry on the business of moneylending, (
  10. g)in the Director's opinion, the cost of credit to be charged is excessive or any of the terms or conditions attaching thereto are unfair, or (
  11. h)in the case of an application for a second or subsequent moneylender's licence, the applicant did not engage in the business of moneylending according to the terms or conditions of the previous licence.
(11)The Director may— (
  1. a)suspend or revoke a moneylender's licence, or (
  2. b)vary the terms or conditions of a moneylender's licence, if he is satisfied that, since becoming the holder of a moneylender's licence, a moneylender or any business with which he is connected has been convicted of an offence for contravening section 98 or a moneylender has become the holder of a licence referred to in subsection
(10)(c) or has failed to comply with any of the terms or conditions of the licence.
(12)Whenever the Director proposes to refuse to grant, suspend, revoke or vary the terms or conditions of a moneylender's licence he shall notify the applicant or the holder of the licence, as the case may be, of his proposal and shall, if any representations are made to him in writing by such applicant or holder within 14 days of the notification, consider the representations.
(13)Whenever the Director, having considered any representations that may have been made under subsection
(12), decides to refuse to grant, suspend, revoke or vary any term or condition of a moneylender's licence, he shall notify the applicant for, or as the case may be, the holder of, the licence of the decision and the grounds for such decision and such applicant or holder may within 7 days of receipt of notification appeal against such decision to the judge of the Circuit Court within whose Circuit the business of moneylending to which the licence relates is to be carried on.
(14)A notification referred to in subsection
(12)or
(13)shall be delivered personally or sent by pre-paid registered post to the business address of the applicant for a moneylender's licence or the holder of the moneylender's licence concerned, as the case may be.
(15)Where a notification under subsection
(12)or
(13)relates to a refusal to grant a second or subsequent moneylender's licence or a suspension or revocation of a moneylender's licence or the variation of the terms or conditions of a moneylender's licence, the refusal, suspension, revocation or variation shall take effect upon the expiration of the 7 days allowed for the appeal.
(16)Where an appeal is made under subsection
(13)by an applicant for a second or subsequent moneylender's licence in respect of a refusal to grant such licence or by a holder of

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