Mineral Development Act (Northern Ireland) 1969

31 Claims for compensation under section 29. N.I.

(1) When it appears to the Ministry that compensation may become payable under section 29 in respect of mines and minerals of any description in any land in consequence of an event such as is mentioned in subsection (2) of that section, the Ministry, unless it is aware of the names of all persons who are entitled to the compensation, shall publish, in two successive weeks, in the Belfast Gazette and in one or more than one newspaper circulating in the locality where the land is situated, a notice—

(a) stating that such compensation may be payable;

(b) mentioning the land in relation to which rights to compensation may arise;

(c) naming a place or places (including at least one place in the locality) where maps identifying the land are available for inspection at all reasonable hours; and

(d) indicating that any person who, having regard to the provisions of section 30, is entitled to compensation in respect of the mines and minerals of that description in that land or any part of it may submit his claim for such compensation to the Ministry within a period of one year from the date of the first publication of the notice.

(2) On the expiration of the period mentioned in paragraph ( d) of subsection (1), or (if all relevant claims appear to the Ministry to have been submitted) of such lesser period as appears to the Ministry to be appropriate, the Ministry shall proceed to consider the claims submitted as mentioned in that paragraph.

(3) Where the Ministry is satisfied that good reasons exist for the failure of any person to submit a claim for compensation under section 29 before the expiration of the period mentioned in subsection (1)( d), his claim may be accepted after the expiration of that period.