Electoral (Amendment) Act, 2001

Amendment of Referendum Act, 1994.

55.—The Referendum Act, 1994 , is amended—

(a) in paragraph (b) of section 13 by the substitution of “7 a.m.” for “8 a.m.”;

(b) in section 14 by the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (6)—

“(6) The Minister for Finance (irrespective of whether an order has been made under section 13 or not) may make an advance to the referendum returning officer for the officer's services and expenses on such terms as that Minister thinks fit.”;

(c) in section 16 by the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (3):

“(3) On the request of a local returning officer for an advance on account of the officer's charges the Minister for Finance may, after consultation with the Minister, (irrespective of whether the scale of charges referred to in subsection (1) has been prepared or not), on such terms as the Minister for Finance thinks fit, make such an advance.”;

(d) in section 23 by the insertion of the following paragraph after paragraph (d):

“(e) a statement for the information of voters prescribed at a referendum may issue to electors on a document other than a polling information card if the statement cannot be accommodated on the polling card because of its length.”;

(e) in section 31 by the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (1):

“(1A) (a) Where a presidential elector is employed by a local returning officer for any purpose in connection with a referendum and is registered to vote in a constituency, other than one in which the employment occurs, the elector shall, on application being made by him in that behalf, be entitled to have his name entered in a supplement to the postal voters list which the registration authority is empowered to prepare and publish in accordance with section 15A of the Electoral Act, 1992 . An application under this section shall be made on a form directed by the Minister, and the local returning officer who is employing the person shall certify on the form that the person will be employed by him on polling day in connection with the referendum and will be unable to vote in person in the constituency at the polling station at which the presidential elector would otherwise be entitled to vote.

(b) Where an application under paragraph (a) is granted, the registration authority shall note the register of electors by placing a mark on the register against the number and name of the elector to denote that the elector's name is on the postal voters list.

(c) Section 15A(2)(d) of the Electoral Act, 1992 , shall apply to an application for entry in a supplement to the postal voters list under paragraph (a) as if references in that provision to paragraph (a) or (b) of section 14 were a reference to this subsection.

(d) Subsection (4) of section 15A of the Electoral Act, 1992 , shall not apply to an application under this subsection.”.