Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Act, 1947

Preparation of register of nominating bodies.

11.—(1) As soon as practicable after the day prescribed for this section, and in any event not later than fourteen days thereafter, the Seanad returning officer shall prepare the register of nominating bodies and for that purpose—

(a) shall examine all applications for registration duly received by him,

(b) shall disallow every application which appears to him to be irregular in form and every application as respects which the applicant fails to satisfy him that the applicant is eligible for registration in respect of the panel to which the application relates,

(c) may disallow any applications which he is authorised by the subsequent provisions of this section to disallow, and

(d) shall allow all such applications as he does not disallow in pursuance of the foregoing provisions of this subsection.

(2) The Seanad returning officer may require from any applicant for registration in the register of nominating bodies all such information relevant to the registration of the applicant as he reasonably requires for the determination by him of the allowance or disallowance of the application, and the Seanad returning officer may disallow the application of any applicant which fails or refuses to give any information required of it under this section.

(3) It shall be lawful for the Seanad returning officer to disallow an application for registration in the register of nominating bodies made by any body which is a branch of or affiliated or subsidiary to a body which is already registered in the register or whose application for such registration he has allowed.

(4) Subsections (2) and (3) of this section shall have effect in relation to every annual revision of the register of nominating bodies as well as in relation to the first preparation of that register.

(5) Not later than fourteen days after the day prescribed for this section, the Seanad returning officer shall send by post to every body which applied for registration in the register of nominating bodies (whether its application has been allowed or disallowed) a copy of the register as prepared by the Seanad returning officer under this section.

(6) Where the Seanad returning officer has disallowed an application for registration in the register of nominating bodies, he shall, on the request of the body which made the application, furnish to the body a statement of his reasons for the disallowance.

(7) Where the Seanad returning officer has disallowed under this section an application for registration in the register of nominating bodies because the applicant has failed to satisfy him that the applicant is eligible for registration in respect of the panel to which the application relates, a statement to that effect by the Seanad returning officer shall, for the purposes of subsection (6) of this section, be a sufficient statement of the reasons for the disallowance.

(8) The allowance or disallowance by the Seanad returning officer of any application for registration in the register of nominating bodies shall be final and conclusive, subject only to such appeal as is provided for by this Act.