Referendum Act, 1994

Expenses of local returning officers.

16.—(1) The Minister for Finance shall prepare a scale of maximum charges for local returning officers and every local returning officer shall be paid by the said Minister out of the Central Fund or the growing produce thereof the officer's reasonable charges, in respect of services and expenses in relation to a referendum, not exceeding the maximum charges specified in the scale prepared under this section and applying for the time being.

(2) For the purpose of the payment of such charges, an account of them shall be submitted by a local returning officer to the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Finance may issue to local returning officers directions as to the time when and the manner and form in which the account shall be so submitted.

(3) On the request of a local returning officer for an advance on account of the officer's charges, the Minister for Finance may, on such terms as the said Minister thinks fit, make such an advance.

(4) The Minister for Finance may, before payment of a local returning officer's charges under this section, apply to a judge of the Circuit Court having jurisdiction in any part of the constituency concerned for the taxation of the account submitted by the local returning officer and the judge shall tax the account and determine the amount payable there under.

(5) The taxation under this section of the account of a local returning officer shall, if the judge so decides on the application of the officer, include the determination of any claim made against the officer in respect of any matter charged for in the account.