Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to be back in the Dáil today to discuss amendments to this Bill which was initiated in this House and passed all Stages here on 18 November.

Most Deputies will be familiar with the main provisions of the Bill, having considered them very recently and I will not go over them again. The amendments we are discussing today are ones I introduced in the Seanad last week.

The first amendment provides for the inclusion of the Local Authority Members' Association in the register of nominating bodies for Seanad panel Member elections in the same way as the Bill is providing for the Association of Irish Local Government to be included. Technically there are six amendments to the Bill to provide for this. The amendments will give equal recognition to the two local government representative bodies for the purposes of making nominations to the Administrative Panel for Seanad elections. I ask this House to support these amendments.

The overall effect of the amended section 2 of the Bill will be to replace the references to the Irish County Councils General Council and the Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland in sections 8, 27 and 58A of the Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Act 1947 with references to the Association of Irish Local Government and the Local Authority Members Association.

No increase in the number of nominations to the Administrative Panel will arise from the changes. No changes are being made to the electorate for Seanad panel Member elections.

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