National Disability Authority Act, 1999

Chapter II

Membership of Authority

Membership of Authority.

20.—(1) (a) The Authority shall consist of a chairperson and 20 ordinary members who shall be appointed by the Minister and who shall, subject to the other provisions of this section, hold and vacate office as the Minister may determine.

(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), until the first appointment to the Authority of a person consequent to an election having been held to which subsection (4)(b) relates, the Authority shall consist of a chairperson and 19 ordinary members.

(2) (a) The Minister shall from time to time as the occasion requires appoint a member of the Authority to be chairperson thereof.

(b) The chairperson of the Authority shall cease to hold such office if he or she ceases to be a member of the Authority.

(c) The chairperson of the Authority shall hold such office until the expiration of his or her term of office as a member of the Authority unless he or she dies, resigns, becomes disqualified or is removed from office before the expiration of his or her term of office as a member of the Authority but, if he or she is reappointed as a member of the Authority, he or she shall be eligible for re-appointment as chairperson of the Authority.

(3) In appointing persons to be members of the Authority, the Minister shall have regard to—

(a) the objective that a majority of the Authority would be persons with disabilities, their representatives, families or carers and, in the case of each member of the Authority, that he or she would have knowledge or experience, either directly or indirectly, of matters pertaining to disability or of any other subject which in the opinion of the Minister would be of assistance to the Authority in the performance of its functions, and

(b) subject to paragraph (a)

(i) the objective that not less than 9 of the members are women and not less than 9 of the members are men, and

(ii) the desirability that the Authority would include among its members persons from both rural and urban areas.

(4) The ordinary members of the Authority shall include—

(a) one officer of the Minister and a representative of any other Minister of the Government who, in the opinion of the Minister, has at that time direct concern with or responsibility for activities relevant to the functions of the Authority, and

(b) one member of the staff of the Authority who shall be elected by secret ballot of the staff of the Authority in such manner—

(i) where notice of the holding of the first election is given before the establishment day, as the Minister shall direct in writing, and

(ii) in every other case (including where notice of the holding of the first election is given after the establishment day), as the Authority, with the agreement of the Minister, may determine.