Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Act, 1947

Procedure at nomination committee (bye-election) meeting.

61.—The following provisions shall apply and have effect in relation to every nomination committee (bye-election) meeting:

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

(b) the proceedings shall commence at the time appointed for the meeting by the relevant Seanad bye-election order if there is then a quorum or, if there is not then a quorum, when there is a quorum;

(c) the Seanad returning officer and his assistants and the persons named in the electoral roll constituted for the meeting under section 60 of this Act, and no other person, may be present at the meeting;

(d) each, member of the nomination committee attending the meeting 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;

(e) 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 nomination committee present;

(f) any member of the nomination committee present may, at any time within one hour after the commencement of the proceedings, nominate a person for election;

(g) a 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;

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

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

(j) any nomination may, at any time within one hour after the commencement of the proceedings, be withdrawn by the member who made it;

(k) the withdrawal of a nomination shall be affected 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 withdrawal;

(l) 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 nomination committee present;

(m) if, at the expiration of one hour from the commencement of the proceedings, two or more 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) in order to take a poll for the purpose of selecting one of those persons;

(n) if, at the expiration of one hour from the commencement of the proceedings, one person and no more has 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 provisional election in accordance with the subsequent provisions of this Chapter;

(o) if, at the expiration of one hour from the commencement of the proceedings, no person has 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.