Number 14 of 1983

REFERENDUM (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1983

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Number 14 of 1983

REFERENDUM (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1983

Constitutional referendum in relation to Eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1982.

1.—At a constitutional referendum in relation to the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1982—

(a) a polling card sent under section 64 (1) of the Electoral Act, 1963, shall contain the statement set out in the Appendix to this section,

(b) a polling card shall also be sent by the local returning officer for a constituency to every elector whose name is on the register of Dáil electors for such constituency and is on the postal voters list for such constituency,

(c) a polling card sent under paragraph (b) of this section—

(i) shall indicate that it is for a postal voter and shall accordingly not state the number and place referred to in the said section 64 (1),

(ii) shall contain the statement referred to in paragraph (a) of this section, and

(iii) shall be sent by post to the elector at the same time as his ballot paper is sent, being addressed to him at the same address as is stated on the envelope in which the ballot paper is sent,

(d) subsections (3) to (6) of the said section 64 shall apply in relation to polling cards sent under paragraph (b) of this section,

(e) copies of the statement referred to in paragraph (a) of this section shall be displayed by a presiding officer in and in the precincts of his polling station:

Provided that the referendum shall not be invalidated by reason of any failure to display such copies in or in the precincts of any polling station,

(f) in applying Rule 18 (inserted by the Electoral Act, 1963) of the First Schedule to the Referendum Act, 1942, the following paragraph shall be substituted for paragraph (5)—

“(5) (a) Where a ballot paper is to be marked pursuant to paragraph (3) of this Rule, the presiding officer may assist the voter by reading out in full from the ballot paper the proposal stated therein and asking the voter ‘Do you approve of or do you object to that Bill becoming law?’ and shall then, unless it is a case to which subparagraph (b) of this paragraph applies, mark the ballot paper in accordance with the answer of the voter, but he shall not act on any written instruction.

(b) Where the voter fails to understand the import of the said question, the presiding officer—

(i) shall read out to the voter paragraph 1 of the statement set out in the Appendix to section 1 of the Referendum (Amendment) Act, 1983,

(ii) shall then ask the voter ‘Which do you wish to do—to vote in favour of the proposal to change the Constitution or to vote against the proposal to change the Constitution?’, and

(iii) shall then mark the ballot paper in accordance with the answer of the voter, but shall not act on any written instruction.”.

APPENDIX

1. The Eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1982, proposes to add the subsection here following to Article 40.3 of the Constitution.

3° The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.

2. If you APPROVE of the proposal, mark X opposite the word YES on the ballot paper.

3. If you DO NOT APPROVE of the proposal, mark X opposite the word NO on the ballot paper.

4. A copy of the Bill can be inspected free of charge, and purchased for two and a half pence, at any Post Office.

Short title, collective citation and construction.

2.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Referendum (Amendment) Act, 1983.

(2) The Referendum Acts, 1942 to 1979, and this Act may be cited together as the Referendum Acts, 1942 to 1983.

(3) This Act shall be construed as one with the Referendum Acts, 1942 to 1983.

Uimhir 14 de 1983

ACHT AN REIFRINN (LEASÚ), 1983

[An tiontú oifigiúil]

[5 Meitheamh, 1983]

Reifreann bunreachta i ndáil leis an mBille um an Ochtú Leasú ar an mBunreacht, 1982.

1.—I reifreann bunreachta i ndáil leis an mBille um an Ochtú Leasú ar an mBunreacht, 1982—

(a) beidh an ráiteas atá leagtha amach san Fhoscríbhinn a ghabhann leis an alt seo i gcárta vótaíochta a chuirfear amach faoi alt 64 (1) den Acht Toghcháin, 1963,

(b) cuirfidh an ceann comhairimh áitiúil do dháilcheantar cárta vótaíochta freisin chuig gach toghthóir a bhfuil a ainm ar chlár na dtoghthóirí Dála don dáilcheantar sin agus ar liosta na bpostvótálaithe don dáilcheantar sin,

(c) gach cárta vótaíochta a chuirfear amach faoi mhír (b) den alt seo—

(i) luafaidh sé gur do phostvótálaí é agus dá réir sin ní luafaidh sé an uimhir ná an áit dá dtagraítear san alt sin 64 (1),

(ii) beidh an ráiteas ann dá dtagraítear i mír (a) den alt seo, agus

(iii) cuirfear é leis an bpost chuig an toghthóir an tráth céanna a chuirfear a pháipéar ballóide chuige, agus é dírithe chuige ag an seoladh céanna a bheidh ar an gclúdach ina gcuirfear an páipéar ballóide chuige,

(d) beidh feidhm ag fo-ailt (3) go (6) den alt sin 64 i ndáil le cártaí vótaíochta a chuirfear amach faoi mhír (b) den alt seo,

(e) cuirfidh oifigeach ceannais cóipeanna den ráiteas dá dtagraítear i mír (a) den alt seo ar taispeáint ina stáisiún vótaíochta agus i maighean a stáisiúin vótaíochta:

Ar choinníoll nach mbeidh an reifreann ó bhail dlí mar gheall ar aon mhainneachtain cóipeanna den sórt sin a chur ar taispeáint in aon stáisiún vótaíochta nó i maighean aon stáisiúin vótaíochta,

(f) le linn Riail 18 (a cuireadh isteach leis an Acht Toghcháin, 1963) den Chéad Sceideal a ghabhann le hAcht an Reifrinn, 1942, a bheith á feidhmiú, cuirfear an mhír seo a leanas in ionad mhír (5)—

“(5) (a)  Má bhíonn páipéar ballóide le marcáil de bhun mhír (3) den Riail seo, féadfaidh an t-oifigeach ceannais cuidiú leis an vótálaí tríd an togra a bheidh luaite sa pháipéar ballóide a léamh amach go hiomlán as an bpáipéar ballóide agus a fhiafraí den vótálaí ‘An dtoilíonn tú nó nach dtoilíonn tú le dlí a dhéanamh den Bhille sin?’ agus déanfaidh sé ansin, mura cás é lena mbaineann fomhír (b) den mhír seo, an páipéar ballóide a mharcáil de réir freagra an vótálaí, ach ní ghníomhóidh sé de réir aon treorach scríofa.

(b) Mura dtuigfidh an vótálaí brí na ceiste sin, déanfaidh an t-oifigeach ceannais mar a leanas—

(i) léifidh sé amach don vótálaí mír 1 den ráiteas atá leagtha amach san Fhoscríbhinn a ghabhann le halt 1 d'Acht an Reifrinn (Leasú), 1983,

(ii) fiafróidh sé ansin den vótálaí ‘Cé acu is mian leat a dhéanamh — vótáil i bhfabhar an togra chun an Bunreacht a leasú nó vótáil i gcoinne an togra chun an Bunreacht a leasú?’,

agus

(iii) marcálfaidh sé an páipéar ballóide ansin de réir freagra an vótálaí, ach ní ghníomhóidh sé de réir aon treorach scríofa.”.

AN FHOSCRÍBHINN

1. Is é atá beartaithe leis an mBille um an Ochtú Leasú ar an mBunreacht, 1982, an fo-alt seo a leanas a chur le hAirteagal 40.3 den Bhunreacht.

3° Admhaíonn an Stát ceart na mbeo gan breith chun a mbeatha agus, ag féachaint go cuí do chomhcheart na máthar chun a beatha, ráthaíonn sé gan cur isteach lena dhlíthe ar an gceart sin agus ráthaíonn fós an ceart sin a chosaint is a shuíomh lena dhlíthe sa mhéid gur féidir é.

2. MÁ THOILÍONN TÚ leis an togra, cuir X os coinne an fhocail TÁ ar an bpáipéar ballóide.

3. MURA dTOILÍONN TÚ leis an togra, cuir X os coinne an fhocail NÍL ar an bpáipéar ballóide.

4. Is féidir cóip den Bhille a iniúchadh saor in aisce, agus is féidir é a cheannach ar dhá phingin go leith, in aon Phost-Oifig.

Gearrtheideal, comhlua agus forléiriú.

2.—(1) Féadar Acht an Reifrinn (Leasú), 1983, a ghairm den Acht seo.

(2) Féadfar Achtanna an Reifrinn, 1942 go 1983, a ghairm d'Achtanna an Reifrinn, 1942 go 1979, agus den Acht seo le chéile.

(3) Forléireofar an tAcht seo agus Achtanna an Reifrinn, 1942 go 1983, mar aon ní amháin.