Number 7 of 1984

REFERENDUM (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1984

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Number 7 of 1984

REFERENDUM (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1984

Constitutional referendum in relation to Ninth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1984

1.—At a constitutional referendum in relation to the Ninth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1984—

(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, 1984,

(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 Ninth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1984, proposes to extend the right conferred on citizens to vote at elections for members of Dáil Éireann to such other persons in the State who have reached the age of 18 years as may be specified by legislation enacted by the Oireachtas.

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.

Constituencies.

2.—(1) For the purpose of taking the poll at a referendum referred to in section 1 of this Act—

(a) each county and each county borough in the State shall be deemed to be a constituency and the poll shall be taken separately in each such constituency, and

(b) each voter at the poll shall record his vote in the constituency in which he would be entitled to vote at a general election of members of Dáil Éireann if each county and each county borough in the State were a constituency for such an election,

and the Referendum Acts, 1942 to 1984, shall be construed as if each county and county borough in the State were a constituency and those Acts shall apply and have effect accordingly with any necessary modification.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) of this section—

(a) paragraphs (c) and (e) of section 11 of the Referendum Act, 1942, shall not have effect in relation to a poll at a referendum referred to in the said section 1, and

(b) the Referendum Act, 1942, shall have effect in relation to a poll at a referendum referred to in the said section 1 as if “constituency” were substituted for “such constituency” in paragraphs (d) (inserted by the Electoral Act, 1963) and (f) of the said section 11.

Short title, collective citation and construction.

3.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Referendum (Amendment) Act, 1984.

(2) The Referendum Acts, 1942 to 1983, and this Act may be cited together as the Referendum Acts, 1942 to 1984.

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

Uimhir 7 de 1984

ACHT AN REIFRINN (LEASÚ), 1984

RIAR NA nALT

Uimhir 7 de 1984

ACHT AN REIFRINN (LEASÚ), 1984

[An tiontú oifigiúil]

Reifreann bunreachta i ndáil leis an mBille um an Naoú Leasú ar an mBunreacht, 1984.

1.—I reifreann bunreachta i ndáil leis an mBille um an Naoú Leasú ar an mBunreacht, 1984—

(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 déan faidh 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), 1984,

(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.”.

FOSCRÍBHINN

1. Is é atá beartaithe leis an mBille um an Naoú Leasú ar an mBunreacht, 1984, go ndéanfar an ceart a thugtar do shaoránaigh chun vótáil i dtoghcháin do chomhaltaí de Dháil Éireann a thabhairt do cibé daoine eile sa Stát ag a bhfuil 18 mbliana slán agus a shonrófar le reachtaíocht a achtóidh an tOireachtas.

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.

Dáilcheantair.

2.—(1) Chun vótaíocht a thógáil i reifreann dá dtagraítear in alt 1 den Acht seo—

(a) measfar gur dáilcheantar gach contae agus gach contaebhuirg sa Stát agus tógfar ar leithligh an vótaíocht i ngach dáilcheantar den sórt sin, agus

(b) déanfaidh gach vótálaí sa vótaíocht a vóta a thaifeadadh sa dáilcheantar a mbeadh teideal aige vótáil ann in olltoghchán do chomhaltaí de Dháil Éireann dá mba dháilcheantar do thoghchán den sórt sin gach contae agus gach contaebhuirg sa Stát,

agus forléireofar Achtanna an Reifrinn, 1942 go 1984, ionann is dá mba dháilcheantar gach contae agus gach contaebhuirg sa Stát, agus beidh feidhm agus éifeacht dá réir sin leis na hAchtanna sin agus iad modhnaithe mar is gá.

(2) Gan dochar do ghinearáltacht fho-alt (1) den alt seo—

(a) ní bheidh éifeacht le mír (c) ná le mír (e) d'alt 11 d'Acht an Reifrinn, 1942, i ndáil le vótaíocht i reifreann dá dtagraítear san alt sin 1, agus

(b) beidh éifeacht le hAcht an Reifrinn, 1942, i ndáil le vótaíocht i reifreann dá dtagraítear san alt sin 1 ionann is dá ndéanfaí “aon dáilcheantar” a chur in ionad “aon dáilcheantar acu sin” i mír (d) (a cuireadh isteach leis an Acht Toghcháin, 1963) agus “gach dáilcheantar” a chur in ionad “gach dáilcheanntar fé leith aca san” i mír (f) den alt sin 11.

Gearrtheideal, comhlua agus forléiriú.

3.—(1) Féadfar Acht an Reifrinn (Leasú), 1984, a ghairm den Acht seo.

(2) Féadfar Achtanna an Reifrinn, 1942 go 1984, a ghairm d'Achtanna an Reifrinn, 1942 go 1983, agus den Acht seo le chéile.

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