Children Act 2001

Safety of children at entertainments.

270

270.—(1) Where—

(a) an entertainment for children or any entertainment at which the majority of the persons attending are children is provided,

(b) the number of children who attend the entertainment exceeds one hundred, and

(c) access to any part of the building in which children are accommodated is by stairs, escalator, lift or other mechanical means,

it shall be the duty of the person who provides the entertainment—

(i) to station and keep stationed wherever necessary a sufficient number of adult attendants, properly instructed as to their duties, so as to prevent more children or other persons being admitted to any such part of the building than that part can properly accommodate,

(ii) to control the movement of the children and other persons admitted to any such part while entering and leaving, and

(iii) to take all other reasonable precautions for the safety of the children.

(2) Where the occupier of a building permits, for hire or reward, the building to be used for the purpose of an entertainment, he or she shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that the provisions of this section are complied with.

(3) If any person on whom any obligation is imposed by this section fails to fulfil it, he or she shall be liable, on summary conviction, in the case of a first offence, to a fine not exceeding £500 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or both and, in the case of a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding £1,500 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or both.

(4) A member of the Garda Síochána may enter any building in which he or she has reason to believe that such an entertainment as aforesaid is being, or is about to be, provided with a view to seeing whether the provisions of this section are complied with.

(5) This section shall not apply to any entertainment given in a private residence.

Annotations:

Editorial Notes:

E69

A fine of £500 converted (1.01.1999) to €634.87. This translates into a class D fine not greater than €1,000 as provided (4.01.2011) by Fines Act 2010 (8/2010), ss. 3, 8(2) and table ref. no. 1, S.I. No. 662 of 2010.

A fine of £1,500 converted (1.01.1999) to €1,904.61. This translates into a Class C fine not greater than €2,500 as provided (4.01.2011) by Fines Act 2010 (8/2010), ss. 3, 6(2) and table ref. no. 1, S.I. No. 662 of 2010.