Section 21 Cleansing and disinfection of premises and articles therein.

Where F1the Regional Agency are satisfied, upon a certificate of F2the Director of Public Health, that the cleansing or disinfection of any premises, or the disinfection or destruction of any articles therein likely to retain infection, would tend to prevent the spread of any infectious disease, F3the Regional Agency shall give notice in writing to the occupier of the premises that they will at his cost cleanse or disinfect, or cleanse and disinfect, the premises and disinfect or, as the case may require, destroy any such articles therein, unless, within twenty-four hours after the receipt of the notice, he informs them that within a time to be fixed by the notice he will take such steps as are specified therein.

If within twenty-four hours after the receipt of a notice under subsection (1) the occupier does not inform the Regional Agency as aforesaid, or if, having so informed the Regional Agency, he fails to take such steps as aforesaid to the satisfaction of the Director of Public Health within the time fixed by the notice, the Regional Agency may cause the premises to be cleansed or disinfected, or to be cleansed and disinfected, and the articles to be disinfected or destroyed, as the case may require, and may, if they think fit, recover summarily as a civil debt due to the Regional Agency from the person in default the expenses reasonably incurred by them in so doing.

Where F4the Regional Agency are of opinion that the occupier of any premises is unable effectually to take such steps as the Regional Agency consider necessary for the purposes of this section, the Regional Agency may, with the consent of the occupier and without giving a notice under subsection (1), take such steps at their own expense.

F5The Regional Agency may pay compensation to any person who has suffered loss by reason of any disinfection or destruction carried out by them under this section.

In this section “occupier” includes, in the case of unoccupied premises, the person entitled to immediate possesion thereof.