2.—(1) In this Act, save where the context otherwise requires—

“the Act of 1860” means the Landlord and Tenant Law Amendment Act, Ireland, 1860;

“the Act of 1891” means the Local Registration of Title (Ireland) Act, 1891;

“the Act of 1936” means the Labourers Act, 1936;

“the Act of 1948” means the Housing (Amendment) Act, 1948 (repealed by this Act);

“the Act of 1952” means the Housing (Amendment) Act, 1952 (repealed by this Act);

“the Act of 1960” means the Local Government (No. 2) Act, 1960;

“the Act of 1962” means the Housing (Loans and Grants) Act, 1962 (repealed by this Act);

F1[…]

“functions” includes powers and duties;

“health authority” has the same meaning as in the Health Act, 1947, as amended by section 9 of the Health Authorities Act, 1960;

“house”, except in Part V of this Act, includes any outoffice, yard, garden or other land appurtenant thereto or usually enjoyed therewith and, except as aforesaid and in sections 15, 16 and 17 of this Act, includes any part of a building used or suitable for use as a dwelling and “housing” shall be construed accordingly;

F2[…]

“land”, except in section 86 of this Act includes water and, in relation to the acquisition of land, includes any interest or right in or over land or water (including an interest or right granted by or held from the authority acquiring the land);

F3[“local authority” means a local authority for the purposes of the Local Government Act 2001 (as amended by the Local Government Reform Act 2014);]

“the Minister” means the Minister for Local Government;

F1[…]

“owner”, except in Part V of this Act, in relation to any dwelling, house, building or other land means a person, other than a mortgagee not in possession, who, whether in his own right or as trustee or agent for any other person, is entitled to receive the rack rent of the dwelling, house, building or other land, or where the dwelling, house, building or other land is not let at a rack rent, would be so entitled if it were so let;

“person”, except in this section and in sections 15 and 34 of this Act, does not include a housing authority;

“prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Minister;

“public utility society” means a society registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts, 1893 to 1936, or a friendly society registered under the Friendly Societies Acts, 1896 to 1953, or a trade union registered under the Trade Union Acts, 1871 to 1952, whose objects include the erection of houses or a body which satisfies the Minister that its objects are wholly philanthropic and include the provision of houses;

“the registering authority” means the registering authority under the Act of 1891;

“Registry of Deeds” means the office established by the Registration of Deeds Act, 1707;

F4[“reserved function” means a reserved function for the purposes of the Local Government Act 2001 (as amended by the Local Government Reform Act 2014);]

F1[…]

“Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts” means the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts, 1899 to 1962;

“state land” means land which is state land within the meaning of the Act of 1936 and which belongs to the State on the commencement of section 105 of this Act.

(2) Any approval or consent required by this Act to be given by the Minister may be given either generally or as respects a particular case and where the relevant provisions of this Act so admit, any such approval or consent may be confined to any particular class of matter or thing or to a particular area or an area of a particular class.

(3) Any reference in this Act to performance of functions includes, with respect to powers, a reference to exercise of powers.

(4) Any reference in this Act to any other enactment shall, except so far as the context otherwise requires, be construed as a reference to that enactment as amended by or under any other enactment, including this Act.