Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898

Constitution and election of district councils in county districts.

23.(1) In an urban county district the members of the council of the district, other than the mayor or chairman, and if the district is divided into wards the members for each ward, shall be elected by the local government electors for the district or ward, and in a borough those electors and no other persons shall be the burgesses, and the local government register of electors shall be the burgess roll; and the provisions made by or in pursuance of this Act respecting the qualification and mode of election of councillors shall extend as well to the aldermen as to the councillors of the urban district; but, save as aforesaid or as expressly provided by this Act, there shall be no change in the constitution, number, duration of office, or chairman, of any such council:

Provided that where one-third of the councillors of any such district are elected annually, the Local Government Board, on request made by a resolution of the council passed by two-thirds of the members voting on such resolution, may by order apply to the district the provisions of this Act with respect to the duration of office of county councillors, and make such incidental provisions as appear to the Board necessary or expedient for bringing such application into full effect, and in particular, in the case of a borough, for making the triennial election of councillors coincide with the triennial election of a portion of the aldermen.

(2) The quorum of an urban district council shall be one-fourth of the total number of such council.

(3) In a rural district—

(a) the district council shall consist of a chairman and councillors;

(b) two councillors shall be elected for each district electoral division, except where the Local Government Board assign more than two councillors to a town or part of a town forming one district electoral division, and the councillors for each district electoral division shall be elected by the local government electors for that division;

(c) at an election for the district council an elector may give in an electoral division one vote and no more for each of any number of persons not exceeding the number of councillors to be elected for the division, and shall not vote at the same election in more than one district electoral division;

(d) the district councillors shall hold office for a term of three years, and shall then retire together, and their places shall be filled by a new election.

(4) A person shall not be qualified to be elected, or to be, a councillor of the council of a county district unless he is a local government elector for the district, or has, during the whole of the twelve months preceding the election, resided, and continues to reside, in the district.