Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 62:

In page 233, between lines 2 and 3, to insert the following: “Amendment of Second Schedule to Electoral Act 1992

267.The Second Schedule to the Electoral Act 1992 is amended—

(a) in Part V, in Rule 29—

(i) in paragraph (5)(a), by the substitution of “a member of garda staff” for “a member of the civilian staff of the Garda Síochána”, and

(ii) by the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (9):

“(9) In paragraph (5), ‘member of garda staff’ has the same meaning as it has in the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2023.”,

and

(b) in Part VII, in Rule 38—

(i) in paragraph (5)(a), by the substitution of “a member of garda staff” for “a member of the civilian staff of the Garda Síochána”, and

(ii) by the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (9):

“(9) In paragraph (5), ‘member of garda staff’ has the same meaning as it has in the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2023.”.”.

Amendment No. 62 inserts a new section in the Bill to amend the Second Schedule to the Electoral Act 1992. The purpose of the amending provision is to amend Parts V and VII of the Second Schedule to the Electoral Act 1992 to replace references to members of the civilian staff of An Garda Síochána with references to "members of garda staff" and to replace the associated defined terms.

Amendment No. 65 inserts a new section in the Bill to amend the Disability Act 2005. The purpose of the amending provision is to replace references to members defined by way of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 with reference to this Bill.

Amendments Nos. 84 and 85 are also technical in nature. They are required to account for the delayed commencement of another piece of legislation, the Garda Síochána (Functions and Operational Areas) Act 2022. Although that Act was enacted in May 2022, commencement of certain provisions has not yet taken place. These proposed amendments are required to ensure that cross-references in both Bills are aligned correctly, regardless of which piece of legislation is commenced first.

Amendment No. 86 amends sections 2, 12 and 34 of the Garda Síochána (Compensation) Act 2022 to align with relevant provisions in the Bill. The proposed amendment updates the definitions in section 2 to align with the Bill. It substitutes a reference to civilian staff with a reference to "garda staff". In sections 12 and 34, the amendment replaces cross-references to the Garda Síochána Act 2005 with cross-references to the Bill.

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