Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I move amendment No. 87:

In page 51, paragraph 2, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following:

"(2) A disqualification pursuant to an order of a court referred to in subparagraph (1)(a), (c), (d), (e) or (f) shall not take effect until the ordinary time for appealing against any such order has expired, or if an appeal is lodged within that time, until any such appeal, or a further appeal therefrom is determined.".

This relates to a disqualification from office of the council. It is standard practice that where a person has been convicted and appealed, he or she cannot be punished until the matter is resolved that he or she is worthy, if that is the right word, of being punished. This would be a significant punishment. Somebody in that position would be well advised to resign but we should not provide for a situation where somebody who has been penalised and then cleared on appeal is punished by being disqualified.