The Prevention of Electoral Abuses Act, 1923

Appointment of Sponsor and Challenger at a referendum.

23.—(1) Whenever a referendum is demanded under Article 47 of the Constitution—

(a) Dáil Eireann may appoint a person to be Sponsor of the Bill; and

(b) If the referendum is demanded by a Resolution of Seanad Eireann, Seanad Eireann may appoint a person to be Challenger of the Bill; and

(c) if the referendum is demanded by a Petition the members of Dáil Eireann or the members of Seanad Eireann upon whose demand the Bill was suspended in accordance with Article 47 of the Constitution may appoint a person to be Challenger of the Bill.

(2) The Sponsor and the Challenger shall each have the like power of appointing an agent in each constituency in Saorstát Eireann as is conferred by this Act or the Electoral Act, 1923 (No. 12 of 1923) on a candidate at a Dáil election in such constituency, and every provision of this Act or the Electoral Act, 1923 , relating to the appointment of an agent by a candidate at a Dáil election shall apply to the appointment of agents by a Sponsor or a Challenger.

(3) Every agent appointed by a Sponsor or a Challenger shall have within the constituency for which he is appointed agent, the like powers of appointing sub-agents, personation agents and persons to be present at the counting of the votes as are conferred in that behalf by this Act or the Electoral Act, 1923 , on a candidate or the agent of a candidate at a Dáil election in that constituency, and every provision of this Act or the Electoral Act, 1923 , in relation to the appointment of such sub-agents, personation agents and other persons by any such candidate or his agent and the rights, powers and duties of such persons when so appointed shall apply to such persons when appointed by the agent of a Sponsor or Challenger.

(4) In this section the word “Bill” means the Bill which is the subject of the referendum.