Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) (Bye-Elections) Act, 1940

Procedure at a nominating meeting.

13.—The following provisions shall apply and have effect in relation to every nominating meeting, that is to say:—

(a) the Seanad returning officer shall preside at the meeting and shall conduct the proceedings thereof;

(b) the Seanad returning officer and his assistants and the members of the nominating committee and no other person may be present at the meeting;

(c) each member of the nominating committee shall, when or as soon as may be after he enters the meeting, sign his name in a book or other record (to be provided and kept by the Seanad returning officer) of attendances at nominating meetings;

(d) the Seanad returning officer shall provide a sufficient number of the prescribed nomination forms and shall make such forms available to the members of the nominating committee;

(e) any member of the nominating committee may, at any time within one hour after the commencement of the meeting, nominate a person for nomination by such nominating committee;

(f) every such nomination shall be made on a prescribed nomination form supplied by the Seanad returning officer and shall be signed by the member making the nomination and shall be handed by him to the Seanad returning officer;

(g) every such nomination shall state the name, address, and description of the person thereby nominated and a statement of the qualifications of such person for the panel for which such nominating committee is the nominating committee;

(h) the Seanad returning officer shall reject any such nomination which appears to him not to be made and completed in accordance with this section;

(i) any such nomination may, at any time within one hour after the commencement of the meeting, be withdrawn by the member who made the same;

(j) the withdrawal of a nomination shall be effected by the member concerned endorsing on the nomination paper (which shall be handed to him for the purpose by the Seanad returning officer) a signed statement of such withdrawal;

(k) the Seanad returning officer shall make every nomination accepted by him and every withdrawal of a nomination available for the inspection of the members of the nominating committee present;

(l) if, at the expiration of one hour from the commencement of the meeting, more than three persons have been duly nominated, the Seanad returning officer shall, at such expiration, adjourn the meeting to a convenient time and place (whether on the same or a subsequent day) for the purpose of taking a poll to determine the order in which the persons so nominated shall be deemed to have been nominated by the nominating committee;

(m) if, at the expiration of one hour from the commencement of the meeting, three persons and no more have been duly nominated, the meeting shall terminate at the expiration of the said hour and the Seanad returning officer shall make and sign a certificate of nominations in accordance with the subsequent provisions of this Part of this Act;

(n) if, at the expiration of one hour from the commencement of the meeting, no persons or less than three persons have been duly nominated, the meeting shall terminate at the expiration of the said hour and the Seanad returning officer shall report the fact and the circumstances of such termination to the Minister.