LOCAL ELECTIONS ACT, 1973

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE ALTERATION OF THE YEARS FOR HOLDING LOCAL ELECTIONS AND TO MAKE PROVISION FOR CERTAIN OTHER MATTERS CONNECTED WITH LOCAL ELECTIONS. [27th June, 1973]

BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:

1 Local elections to be held in 1974 and quinquennially thereafter.

1.—(1) Section 81 (1) of the Electoral Act, 1963, as amended by section 1 of the Local Elections Act, 1966, and section 3 of the Local Elections Act, 1972, is hereby amended by the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (a):

• “(a) An election of members of every local authority shall be held in the year 1974 and quinquennially thereafter.”.

• (2) The terms of office of members of local authorities current at the passing of this Act shall stand extended so as to be in accordance with the holding in the year 1974 of the elections of members of local authorities next after the passing of this Act and those elections shall be regarded for all purposes as quinquennial elections.

2 Specification of local election year by order.

2.—(1) Where the Minister is satisfied that an election of members of every local authority falling to be held pursuant to section 81 of the Electoral Act, 1963, as amended, should be postponed, he may by order, provide that such an election shall be held in a year specified in the order (which year is in this Act subsequently referred to as the specified election year).

• (2) In case an order under subsection (1) of this section is for the time being in force, the following provisions shall apply:

• (a) the reference in paragraph (a) of section 81 (1) of the Electoral Act, 1963 (inserted by section 1 (1) of this Act) to the year 1974 shall be construed as a reference to the year specified in the order as the specified election year and the said paragraph (a) shall have effect accordingly,

• (b) the terms of office of members of local authorities current when the order comes into operation shall stand extended so as to be in accordance with the holding, in the year so specified as the specified election year, of the elections of members of local authorities next after the order comes into operation and those elections shall be regarded for all purposes as quinquennial elections.

• (3) The Minister may by order revoke an order made under subsection (1) of this section.

• (4) An order made under this section shall not come into operation unless and until a copy thereof has been laid before each House of the Oireachtas and the order has been confirmed by resolution of each such House.

3 Alteration of years for making appointments of members of school attendance committees.

3.—(1) The appointments next after the passing of this Act under section 10 of the School Attendance Act, 1926, shall be made in the year 1974 and shall be regarded as quinquennial appointments.

• (2) The appointments next after the coming into operation of an order under section 2 of this Act under section 10 of the School Attendance Act, 1926, shall be made in the year specified in the order as the specified election year and shall be regarded as quinquennial appointments.

4 Provision with respect to certain meetings of vocational education committees.

4.—The meetings next after the passing of this Act under section 14 of the Vocational Education Act, 1930, and any other such meetings held next after the coming into operation of an order under section 2 of this Act shall be regarded as quinquennial meetings.

5 Short title, construction and collective citation.

5.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Local Elections Act, 1973.

• (2) This Act and the Local Elections Acts, 1963 to 1973, shall be construed together as one Act and that collective citation shall include this Act.