Standing Orders - Sligo Municipal Districts

Gaeilge

REGULATING THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE MUNICIPAL DISTRICT MEMBERS

MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF: SLIGO AND BALLYMOTE-TOBERCURRY

Meetings of the Municipal District Members

  1. Unless upon any occasion when it is otherwise fixed by statute or by resolution of the municipal district members, Ordinary Meetings of the municipal district members shall be held on the third Monday of alternate months, excluding August.  A schedule of Ordinary Meetings of the municipal district members for the ensuing year shall be approved at each Annual Meeting.

Annual Meeting

  1. In every year in which a local election is held the Annual Meeting shall be held on the date specified by Sligo County Council, which shall be not later than ten days after the Annual Meeting of the Council, and not on an excluded day.

    In every other year the Annual Meeting shall be on such day, in May or June, as appointed by resolution or fixed by standing orders.

    Whenever an Annual Meeting is for any reason not held on the appointed day the meetings administrator shall, following consultation with the Cathaoirleach, or if the office of Cathaoirleach is vacant or he/ she is unable to act, with the Leas-Chathaoirleach, convene a meeting for a day which the administrator considers to be the earliest convenient date for that purpose.

    In an election year, the municipal district members shall publish a notice of their Annual Meeting on the website of Sligo County Council immediately upon the setting of the date for this meeting by the Council The notice shall state the date and venue of the Annual Meeting, that the first business of the meeting will be the election of the Cathaoirleach, and where appropriate specify the bodies to which the municipal district members are entitled to make appointments at that meeting or subsequently.  The notice shall be in a similar form to that published by the Council advising of its Annual Meeting.

    In the case of an Annual Meeting in an election year and until the election of the Cathaoirleach at such meeting, the Chair for this period shall be taken by a municipal district member, or an employee of the Council selected by the meeting for this purpose.  Any member selected to chair an annual meeting under this subparagraph shall not have a second or casting vote and any employee of the Council if so selected in accordance with this subparagraph shall not have any vote.

    At an Annual Meeting in an election year the election of a Cathaoirleach is to be the first business of an Annual Meeting and the next business, the election of a Leas-Chathaoirleach.

    In the case of the Annual Meeting in an election year, the business to be transacted after the election of the Cathaoirleach and the Leas-Chathaoirleach shall include the consideration of the election, appointment or nomination of members of bodies elected, appointed or nominated by the municipal district members.

Meeting to consider Draft Budgetary Plan

  1. The Chief Executive shall consult with the municipal district members in the preparation of Sligo County Council’s draft budget and for this purpose a draft budgetary plan will be prepared.  This draft budgetary plan will allow the municipal district members determine the manner in which the General Municipal Allocation will be spent.  The draft budget plan shall be considered by the municipal district members within the any period determined by the Minister and the deliberations shall be concluded at least 21 days prior to the date set for Sligo County Council’s budget meeting

Special Meeting

  1. A Special Meeting of the municipal district members may be convened at any time by the Cathaoirleach or if the office of Cathaoirleach is vacant or the Cathaoirleach is unable to act, by the Leas-Chathaoirleach, or by the Cathaoirleach on foot of a request in writing presented to him or her by any three municipal district members.

    Where the Cathaoirleach refuses or neglects to act on foot of a request within 7 days of it being presented to him/her, the municipal district members making the request may convene a meeting.  The provisions of paragraph 6 of Sch. 10 apply in relation to calling of such meeting.

Hour of Meeting

  1. The hour of meeting of the municipal district members shall be 11.00am or at such other hour as may from time to time be fixed by resolution of the municipal district members.  The municipal district members shall rise not later than 2.00pm

Place of Meeting and Address of Principal Offices

  1. In so far as practicable the place for holding meetings of the Sligo Municipal District shall be City Hall, Sligo, and the place for holding meetings of Ballymote-Tobercurry shall be Teach Laighne, Tobercurry.  Meetings shall normally be held there, provided that the municipal district members may from time to time by resolution appoint an alternative location for a particular meeting.

    The address of the principal offices of Sligo County Council for the purposes of these Standing Orders is County Hall, Riverside, Sligo.

Summoning of Meeting

  1. A notification to attend a meeting, other than a meeting to consider the draft budget plan shall be transmitted to each Municipal district member by electronic means, including email and extranet facility.

    The notice shall specify the place, date and time of the meeting, and give not less than 3 clear days notice.  The 3 clear days shall only exclude (i) normal day for receipt of the notice, and (ii) the day of the meeting.

    In the case of a draft budget plan meeting, 7 days’ notice shall be given.

    A notification shall include or be accompanied by an Agenda listing the business to be transacted at the meeting.  Subject to Standing Order 20 no business shall be transacted at a meeting other than that specified in the Agenda which relates to the meeting or business required by the Act, or otherwise by law to be transacted at the meeting.

    An Agenda which has been sent or delivered for this purpose may be altered (whether by way of addition, deletion or otherwise) if an Agenda specifying the alteration is delivered or sent to each member not less than 3 clear days before the day on which the meeting is to be held.

    In the case of a Special Meeting convened by requisition under Standing Order 4, a copy of the requisition shall be sent with the notification.
  2. A notification shall have the signature of the meetings administrator and any document claiming to have that signature shall be deemed, until the contrary is proved to have been duly issued or given with the authority of the municipal district members.

    Want of service or non-receipt of a notification by any member or lack of a signature or any other defect in the notification does not affect the validity of a meeting or of any act or thing done at the meeting.

    For the purposes of this Standing Order “signature” includes an e-signature or facsimile of a signature by whatever process reproduced or a printed version of the name of the meetings administrator.

Public Notice of Meeting

  1. Public notice of the place, date and time of a meeting shall be displayed not less than 3 clear days before the day of the meeting in or at the place of meeting of the municipal district members, in a position convenient for public inspection during normal office hours.

    The Notice shall include the Agenda for the meeting or specify a place where the Agenda can be inspected and in the case of a meeting requisitioned under Standing Order 4 the Agenda shall include or be accompanied by a copy of the requisition.

    Subject to any arrangements as it may make the municipal district members shall supply a copy of a public notice and agenda to the media.

Constitution of Meetings

  1. The Chair shall be taken by the Cathaoirleach at a meeting of the municipal district members within thirty minutes after the time appointed for such meeting or in his / her absence by the Leas-Chathaoirleach or otherwise by a member called thereto by general agreement or chosen by vote of the members present to chair the meeting and such member shall leave the chair on the arrival at the meeting of the Cathaoirleach or Leas-Chathaoirleach.
  2. The names of the members attending shall be recorded in a register
  3. The quorum for meetings of Sligo Municipal District is four; the quorum for meetings of Ballymote-Tobercurry Municipal District is three.

    Whenever a meeting municipal district members is abandoned owing to failure to obtain a quorum the names of those present at the time and place appointed for such meeting shall be recorded by the meetings administrator and they shall for all purposes be deemed to have attended a duly constituted meeting.

    If a quorum is not present within thirty minutes after the time fixed for the meeting [or at any time during the meeting,] the meeting shall stand adjourned to a day to be named by the Cathaoirleach.

Order of Business

  1. The Order of Business at all meetings other than Annual Meetings and Special Meetings shall, subject to the provisions of any enactments, be as follows:
    1. Confirmation of Minutes.
    2. Consideration of Reports and presentations by Executive
    3. Business prescribed by Statute, Standing Orders or Resolutions of the Municipal District Members for transaction at such meeting.
    4. Other business set forth in the Notice convening the meeting.
    5. Notices of Motion.
    6. Correspondence.

    In the case of a meeting convened for a special purpose the business specified in the Notification for such meeting shall be transacted and no other business.

    At any ordinary meeting of municipal district members it shall be proper, if a majority of the members present and voting so decide, to take an item for consideration out of the sequence of listing on the Agenda, provided always that such decision shall not affect any business required by Statute to be done before any other business at the meeting.

Confirmation of Minutes

  1. Minutes of the proceedings of a meeting of municipal district members shall be drawn up by the meetings administrator.

    The Minutes shall include:-
    1. the date, place and time of the meeting,
    2. the names of the members present at the meeting,
    3. the names of the senior employees of the Council present at the meeting,
    4. reference to any report submitted to the members at the meeting,
    5. where there is a roll call vote, the number and names of members voting for and against the motion and of those abstaining,
    6. particulars of all resolutions passed at the meeting,
    7. such other matters considered appropriate.

    A copy of the minutes of a meeting shall be sent or given by the meetings administrator to each municipal district member.

    Minutes of a meeting shall be submitted for confirmation as an accurate record at the next following ordinary meeting, where practicable, or where not, at the next following meeting and recorded in the minutes of that meeting.

    When confirmed with or without amendment, the minutes of a meeting shall be signed by the person chairing the meeting they were submitted to for confirmation and any minutes claiming to be so signed shall be received in evidence without proof.  When the question that they be confirmed is put from the Chair, a Member may object to any part thereof as not being an accurate record and upon a motion any question of altering the record shall be determined by the municipal district members by majority vote of those members who were present at the appropriate meeting; provided that no entry shall be made in the Minutes of any protest other than a record of dissent, save in the form of a motion or an amendment.

    A copy of the minutes when confirmed in accordance with this Standing Order shall be open to inspection at the principal offices of the local authority [and at the normal place of meetings of municipal district members]2 and any person may inspect and make a copy of, or abstract from, the minutes during the usual office hours of the authority.

    A copy of the minutes shall be provided to any person applying for them on payment of such reasonable sum, being a sum not exceeding the reasonable cost of supplying the copy, as may be fixed by the municipal district members.

    The minutes, and all related documents, shall be maintained on the website of the Council.

Notice of Motions

  1. Every Notice of Motion dated and signed by the Councillor(s) giving it shall be delivered to the meetings administrator or transmitted by electronic mail to the dedicated email address and shall be recorded in the order of their receipt.

    Only those Notice of Motions which have been received not later than 5.00 p.m on the seventh day before the relevant meeting of the District shall appear on the Agenda for that meeting.  Where the 7th day before the relevant meeting is a Bank Holiday, 5.00 p.m on the previous working day shall apply.

    Notice of Motions shall appear on the Agenda paper in the order in which they are received by the Meetings Administrator provided always that all motions relating to the statutory functions of the Council shall appear on the Agenda paper before motions dealing with matters which do not relate to statutory functions of the Council.
  2. The Agenda shall not contain any motion which has been considered within the previous six months or any motion substantially similar to any motion considered within the previous six months.  Any decision on what constitutes a substantially similar motion shall be decided upon by the Cathaoirleach.

    A motion listed for consideration (or an amendment) before being considered by the Municipal District shall be committed to in writing, signed by the Councillor proposing it and by the Councillor seconding it and handed to the Cathaoirleach.

    Where any Notice of Motion is obviously out of order, illegal or contains unbecoming expressions, such a Notice of Motion shall be referred by the Meetings Administrator to the Cathaoirleach or Leas-Cathaoirleach.

    Multiple Notice of Motions i.e. Motions which relate to more than one topic are prohibited.  The decision of the Cathaoirleach or Leas-Cathaoirleach in such instances shall be final and binding.
  3. No Councillor shall be permitted to have more than three motions on the Agenda for any one meeting with the exception of motions adjourned from a previous meeting.  The maximum number of deferred motions per member shall be three.

Motions to Amend or Revoke Resolutions

  1. A motion to revoke or amend a resolution of the municipal district members can only be made on notice inserted in the Agenda, and such notice shall specify the resolution to be revoked or amended and furnish the terms of the motion to be made; but no such motion shall be allowed to appear on the Agenda to revoke or amend any resolution of municipal district members within six months of the date of the adoption of such resolution except with the written assent of not less than three municipal district members for Ballymote-Tobercurry Municipal District and four members for Sligo Municipal District.  A resolution may not be revoked at the meeting at which it has been adopted.

    It shall be necessary for adoption of a motion to revoke or amend a resolution of the municipal district members that not less than four members for Ballymote-Tobercurry Municipal District and five members for Sligo Municipal District [being not less than one-half of the total number of municipal district members] vote in favour and subject to such other requirements as may be specified in SO] and to any statutory requirements.
  2. Subject to Standing Order 18 any matter decided by the municipal district members by motion on notice or on the report of a committee shall not be re-opened within 6 months of the date of such decision.

Motion for Purpose of Dealing with Urgent Business

  1. Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Standing Orders a motion may be proposed without notice for the purpose of dealing with urgent business related to a function of the municipal district members, subject to the requirement that not less than four members of Ballymote-Tobercurry Municipal District vote in favour and five members of Sligo Municipal District vote in favour [being at least one half of the total number of municipal district members].

Adjournment of Meeting

  1. A motion for adjournment of the meeting of the municipal district members may be made at any time and shall be determined without amendment and without debate, except that the mover of the Motion of adjournment and the mover of the Motion immediately affected by it, may each address the municipal district members for not more than five minutes on the question of the adjournment; and when the Motion for adjournment is adopted, the meeting will stand adjourned to a day then named or in the event of no such date being named, to the next occurring ordinary meeting.

    Adjournment of the Council for the purposes of expressing sympathy will be for the duration of 15 minutes after which time the meeting will reconvene.  The only exceptions to this rule will be in the event of the death of a member or former member of Sligo County Council.

    A Special Meeting may be adjourned from time to time until its business is concluded.

Motions and Amendments

  1. The proposer of a motion not listed in the Agenda or an amendment, and not in common form, shall upon moving the same deliver a written copy to the Chair.
  2. A motion, notice of which stands in the Agenda and which has been proposed and seconded, may be withdrawn only on leave obtained from a majority of the municipal district members present at the meeting at the request of the member concerned.  A motion may either be proposed by the member in whose name it stands or if he or she be absent, by any member authorised by him or her in writing to propose it on his or her behalf, but unless so proposed, and in the absence of a request in writing from the member in whose name it stands to postpone it, the motion shall be dropped and shall not again be set down in the Notice Paper except on fresh notice.  A motion or an amendment when not seconded is dropped.
  3. An amendment which has been proposed and seconded may be withdrawn only on leave obtained from a majority of the municipal district members present at the meeting at the request of the member concerned.
  4. Every amendment shall be relevant to the motion on which it is moved and shall be either (a) to leave out words, (b) to leave out words and insert or add others, (c) to insert or add words.  An amendment shall not be in order if it is equivalent to a direct negative or if it is not in fact an amendment of the motion it purports to amend.
  5. Whenever an amendment on an original motion has been moved and seconded, no second or subsequent amendment shall be moved until the first amendment shall have been disposed of, but notice of any second or subsequent amendment shall first have been given.
  6. When an amendment is affirmed the original motion as amended becomes the substantive motion upon which any further amendment, of which notice has been given may be moved.
  7. When an amendment is lost any further amendment of which notice has been given may be proposed, but only one amendment shall be at any time before the meeting and an amendment shall not be in order if the Chair rules it to be substantially the same as an amendment already lost.

Order of Debate

  1. Except with the permission of the Chair no member shall address the municipal district members for more than five minutes.  A member may speak once upon any item on the Agenda or on any motion except a motion which is to be put without debate.  The proposer of a motion has the right to reply whilst the motion remains before the Chair and when the proposer replies the debate on the motion is closed.
  2. No member who has spoken to a motion may move or second an amendment, but when an amendment is moved and seconded, a member who has already spoken to the original motion may speak to the amendment.
  3. A member may speak more than once on the same motion or amendment for the purpose only of submitting a point of order or making a personal explanation.  The Chair’s decision in determining a point of order or personal explanation shall be final.
  4. The Chair shall ascertain that a motion is seconded before the proposer is permitted to speak to it.
  5. A motion “that the municipal district members proceed to the next business” may be made after any motion has been proposed and seconded.  When made it shall be determined without amendment or debate and if it be affirmed the business interrupted by such motion shall not be proceeded with further at that meeting and unless the municipal district members otherwise determine shall be adjourned to the next ordinary meeting.  The motion to proceed to next business shall not be made more than once during the debate on any question.
  6. At any time during a discussion on a motion a member may move “that the question be now put” and if such leave be given by the assent of the majority of those present and voting, the motion shall be put, subject to the right of reply by the proposer of the original or substantive motion.
  7. When two or more members at the same time offer to speak, the member called upon by the Chair shall have precedence.
  8. A member while speaking shall address only the Chair.
  9. A member speaking shall not be interrupted except upon a question of order, but may give way to a member desiring to make a personal explanation.
  10. When a member seeks to make a point of order, the member then addressing the Chair shall give way until the question of order has been determined by the Chair, unless the former seeks to address the Chair upon the question of order.
  11. In accordance with Paragraph 13 of Schedule 10 of the Local Government Act, 2001, as amended by Schedule 3 of the Local Government Reform Act 2014, The Chair is the sole judge of order at meetings of municipal district members and has authority to maintain order and enforce prompt obedience to his / her ruling.  When during a debate the Chair rises, any member then speaking shall give way to the Chair.

Disorderly Behaviour

  1. If at a meeting any municipal district member, in the opinion of the Chair notified to the members, misconducts himself or herself by persistently disregarding the ruling of the Chair, or by wilfully obstructing the business of the meeting, the Chair or any other member may move “That the member named be not further heard”, and the motion if seconded shall be put and determined without discussion.
  2. If in the opinion of the Chair any member has been or is disorderly by persistently disregarding the ruling of the Chair, or by behaving irregularly, improperly or offensively or by otherwise obstructing the business of the meeting, and the Chair has conveyed his or her opinion to the members present by naming the member concerned, then the Chair or any member may move “that the member named leave the meeting” and the motion, if seconded, shall be put and determined without discussion.
  3. Where the municipal district members decides that a member leave a meeting, that member shall immediately leave the meeting and shall not be entitled to speak or to take any further part in that meeting on that day.
  4. Where in the opinion of the Chair there is general disorder which impedes the orderly transaction of business or where a member against whom it was resolved in accordance with SO 42 that he or she leave the meeting refuses to do so, the Chair may adjourn the meeting for such period as he or she considers necessary in the interests of order.
    1. Where following a motion under SO 41 the member refuses to leave the meeting, and the meeting is adjourned under SO 43, a further motion may be put that the member concerned was the cause of the meeting being adjourned.
    2. If following a motion under SO 43A, the chair expresses the further opinion that the member has continued to
      • be disorderly by disregarding the ruling of the chair, or
      • behave irregularly, improperly or offensively, or
      • otherwise obstruct the business of the meeting, and the chair expresses this opinion to the members present by again naming the member concerned, then the Chair or any member may move “that the member named be suspended for [a specified period]” and the motion, if seconded, shall be put and determined without discussion.  The period specified in this motion shall be not less than one month and not more than 6 weeks.
  5. Where at least two-thirds of the elected members present and voting decide that the member be suspended, he/she shall be suspended with immediate effect from all meetings of the municipal district members and any committee of the municipal district members, for the period specified in the motion.
  6. If within 3 months of the end a period of suspension, where at least two-thirds of the elected members present and voting decide that the member concerned has again, or continued to
    • be disorderly by disregarding the ruling of the chair, or
    • behave irregularly, improperly or offensively, or
    • otherwise obstruct the business of the meeting, on the basis of a motion moved by the Chair or any member “that the member named be suspended for [a specified period]” in accordance with SO 43B, and the motion, if seconded, shall be put and determined without discussion, he or she shall be again suspended with immediate effect from all meetings of the municipal district members and any committee of the municipal district members for a period of not less than 6 weeks and not more than 10 weeks.
  7. Notwithstanding, SOs 43A to 43D, the municipal district members may at any meeting subsequent to the imposition of the suspension, and during the period of suspension, decide by resolution to lift a suspension.  Such resolution, whether under SO15 or SO 20 shall be considered at the earliest point on the agenda possible, subject to the requirement under any enactment in relation to other specified business.
  8. The chair shall indicate to the meeting that the chief executive has sought consultations on arrangements for the exclusion, or where necessary, removal from the meeting, of any member the subject of a motion under this part of the SOs.  This shall be as a point of information only and there shall be no debate on this information.

  • No member shall address the Chair, unless from one of the seats reserved to the use of members.

Deputations

  1. The municipal district members may by resolution decide to receive a deputation.  Subject to the direction of the Chair, two persons may speak on behalf of the deputation for not more than ten minutes, unless permitted by the Chair.

    Request for a deputation to be heard by the municipal district members shall not be considered unless the subject matter to be raised be notified in writing on the motion of a municipal district member, or direct application by the body concerned, sent to the meetings administrator at least seven clear days before the date of the meeting.

    The deputation may only be questioned by municipal district members but shall not be entitled to ask questions.

    When the members of a deputation have addressed the meeting, they shall withdraw from the meeting.

    The municipal district members may, by resolution, decide to receive a deputation without notice, provided four of the members of Ballymote-Tobercurry Municipal District present vote for the resolution, and five of the members of Sligo Municipal District present vote for the resolution.

Questions, Votes and Divisions

  1. Every question shall be determined by a show of hands, unless two members request a division, in which case the names for and against the motion or amendment shall be taken down in writing and recorded in the Minutes.
  2. Where the Chair has not formally declared the result of a vote, or is in doubt as to whether his / her declaration is right or wrong, he or she is entitled if s/he thinks fit to take a second vote on the matter, especially if he or she considers that through some misunderstanding the first vote did not properly represent the sense of the meeting at that time.
  3. Each member present at a meeting of municipal district members shall have a vote unless prohibited by any enactment.
  4. Without prejudice to any enactment or other provisions of these Standing Orders requiring either the presence of a specified number or proportion of the members or that a specified number or proportion should vote in favour for the doing of any particular act, all acts of the municipal district members which are reserved functions or questions duly coming or arising before a meeting of the municipal district members shall be determined - (a) by a majority of the members present and voting or where there is an equality of votes, by a second or casting vote of the person chairing the meeting (which person shall have and may choose to exercise such a vote).

Advice that Exercise of Reserved Functions should be by the Local Authority

    1. Where the Chief Executive, following consultation with the Cathaoirleach or Leas-Cathaoirleach advises that any proposed exercise or performance of a reserved function should be by the local authority, no motion or resolution purporting to exercise or perform such function shall be put.
    2. A motion to decide to refer the matter to the Corporate Policy Group as to whether the function should be exercised and performed by Sligo County Council or by the municipal district members may be proposed and seconded at the meeting and put for decision at that meeting in accordance with Standing Orders 22 and 23.
    3. Any reserved function the subject of advice from the Chief Executive in accordance with Standing Order 49A and referred to the Corporate Policy Group in accordance with Standing Order 49C shall not be exercised or performed unless and until the Corporate Policy Group indicates that it may be so exercised by the municipal district members.

Attendance of Public and Media

  1. The right of the public and representatives of the media to attend meetings of municipal district members is subject to the following:-

    Where the municipal district members are of opinion that the absence of members of the public and representatives of the media from the whole or part of a particular meeting is desirable because of the special nature of the meeting or of an item of business to be or about to be considered at the meeting or for other special reasons, the municipal district members may, by resolution in respect of which, at least one-half of the total number of municipal district members vote in favour, decide to meet in committee for the whole or part of the meeting concerned.  The resolution in this instance shall indicate in a general way the reasons for the resolution and those reasons shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.
  2. Members of the public and representatives of the media will occupy the parts of the Meeting Room allotted to their use.  The public shall be admitted subject to the following arrangements:
    • Members of the public shall be seated and maintain silence and observe any directions given by the Cathaoirleach or by any employee in attendance upon the Council.  Such employees are responsible for the execution of all measures necessary for the maintenance of order and decorum in and about the Chamber.
    • If a member of the public interrupts a meeting at any time or endeavours, without the permission of the Council to address a Meeting, the Cathaoirleach shall warn him or her and if the interruption continues shall order that person’s removal.
    • In the case of a general disturbance in any part of the Meeting Room open to the public, the Cathaoirleach shall order that part to be cleared.
  3. While the Municipal District members may make arrangements for the broadcasting or webcasting of its meetings, no external recording, broadcasting or photography arrangements will be facilitated without the prior approval of the district members.
  4. The use of mobile phones shall not be permitted at meetings of the Municipal District.

COMMITTEES

  1. The municipal district members may appoint a Special Committee for a specific purpose.  When appointing such a Committee it shall at the same time determine the number and names of members to constitute such Committee and shall also fix the quorum which shall not be less than three.  The term of office of a Special Committee shall be for such period as the municipal district members may determine when appointing the Committee.
  2. Every Special Committee at its first meeting shall appoint a Chairperson from its members and, where practical, fix the day and the hour of future meetings.
  3. In the election of Committees, candidates shall be proposed and seconded and if the number so proposed and seconded does not exceed the number of vacancies, those proposed and seconded shall be declared elected.  Should the number of those proposed and seconded exceed the number of vacancies a vote shall be taken, and the procedures shall be as follows:

    Where the number of candidates or continuing candidates exceeds by two or more the number of vacancies to be filled, the candidate who has received the lowest number of votes shall be eliminated and a vote shall be taken as between the continuing candidates.  Every candidate shall be entitled to vote for a number of candidates not exceeding the number of vacancies.  This procedure shall be repeated as often as is necessary.

    Notwithstanding anything contained above, the provisions of paragraph 18 of Sch. 10, and the requirements of any other enactment will apply to appointments to committees.
  4. Whenever a vacancy occurs in the membership of any Committee of the municipal district members, by reason of the death, resignation or disqualification of a member, such vacancy shall be filled as soon as circumstances permit, by the municipal district members after due notice.
  5. In a Committee, a motion or amendment may be proposed without a seconder, and a member may speak more than once to any question, but otherwise the Rules of Order of the municipal district members, so far as they are conveniently applicable, shall govern all proceedings of Committees, and the member in the Chair at any meeting of a Committee shall determine questions of order.
  6. Every Committee in the whole of its proceedings shall be governed by the Standing Orders or Resolutions of the municipal district members affecting such Committee.
  7. A copy of every Report of a Committee to be submitted to the municipal district members shall, before the submission thereof, be transmitted to every member at least three days before meetings of municipal district members, save in cases of urgency when reading of the Report to the municipal district members shall suffice.
  8. Save for meetings of such Committees as the municipal district members may specify from time to time, representatives of the media and the public may be present at meetings of Committees of municipal district members.  When confidential matters are under discussion Committees may decide to exclude such representatives from the meeting or the relevant portion of the meeting.
  9. The meetings administrator shall summon a meeting of any Committee at the request of the Cathaoirleach of the Committee, or any three of its members, or whenever the meetings administrator deems it necessary in special circumstances that such Committee shall meet.
  10. The Cathaoirleach of the municipal district members shall be ex-officio a member of every Committee except those where membership is fixed by Statute.
  11. In the absence of the Cathaoirleach of a Committee, the Chair shall be taken by any municipal district member of the Committee agreed at the meeting.
  12. The Chair of each Committee shall be responsible to the municipal district members for the general management of the business entrusted to such Committee.
  13. The municipal district members may resolve themselves into a Committee of the whole of the municipal district members for the transaction of business to be specified in the Resolution.  {Section 45}
  14. The decisions of the Committees of the municipal district members shall not become binding, except where otherwise provided in the Standing Orders, until approved by the municipal district members, unless the members specifically empowers these Committees to deal (without further reference to it) with certain matters, subject to the appropriate legal provisions.

Suspension of Standing Orders

  1. Subject to the provisions and requirements of the Act, or of any other enactment, any Standing Order, except Nos. 18, 20, 46 to 49 [and 22 to 44 if so decided by the municipal district members] may at any time be suspended on a motion proposed without notice for the purpose of enabling any specific business defined in the suspensory motion to be considered and dealt with by the municipal district members, subject to the requirement that at least two-thirds of the members present vote in favour.

Miscellaneous

  1. A member or members appointed to outside bodies and boards may from time to time submit reports to the municipal district members on matters arising in such bodies or boards which have relevance to the municipal district members and shall in any event do so in accordance with the requirements of Section 141 of the Local Government Act 2001, as amended by section 53(1) of the 2014 Act.

 

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