Irish Sports Council Act, 1999

Disclosure of interests.

20.—(1) Where a member of the Council, a member of a committee, a member of the Council's staff or a consultant or adviser engaged under section 7 (2)(f) has any pecuniary interest or other beneficial interest in, or material to, any matter which falls to be considered by the Council or a committee, he or she shall—

(a) disclose to the Council or committee, as the case may be, the nature of the interest in advance of any consideration of the matter,

(b) neither influence nor seek to influence a decision relating to the matter,

(c) take no part in any consideration of the matter,

(d) withdraw from the meeting concerned for so long as the matter is being discussed or considered, and

(e) if a member of the Council or committee, neither vote nor otherwise act as a member in relation to the matter.

(2) For the purposes of this section, but without prejudice to the generality of subsection(1), a person shall be regarded as having a beneficial interest in each of the following cases:

(a) the person, any member of the person's household or any nominee of the person or of a member of the person's household is a member of a company or any other body which has a beneficial interest in, or material to, any matter referred to in that subsection;

(b) the person or any member of the person's household is in partnership with, or is in the employment of, a person who has a beneficial interest in, or material to, that matter;

(c) the person or any member of his or her household is a party to any arrangement or agreement (whether or not enforceable) concerning land to which that matter relates;

(d) any member of the person's household has a beneficial interest in, or material to, that matter.

(3) For the purposes of this section a person shall not be regarded as having a beneficial interest in, or material to, any matter by reason only that he or she or any company or other body or person mentioned in subsection (2) has an interest which is so remote or insignificant that it cannot reasonably be regarded as likely to influence a person in considering or discussing, or in voting on, any question in respect of the matter or in performing any function in relation to the matter.

(4) The Council shall determine any question as to whether a course of conduct, if pursued by a person, would be a failure by him or her to comply with subsection (1) and the particulars of the determination shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting concerned.

(5) Particulars of any disclosure made under subsection (1) to the Council or to a committee of the Council shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting concerned.

(6) Where a member of the Council's staff or a consultant or adviser fails to make a disclosure in accordance with subsection (1), the Council may decide on the appropriate action to be taken (including termination of the contract of or for service).