Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2024
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Advance polling | ||
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48. (1) Notwithstanding subsections (2) and (4) of section 47 , the Minister may, in the public interest and where it is necessary to do so having regard to the immediate, exceptional and serious risk posed to human life and public health by a pandemic or by Covid-19 and with the consent of the Commission, make an order providing that, in addition to the poll at a plebiscite provided for under subsection (2) of section 47 — | ||
(a) an advance poll at a plebiscite may be taken on the day before the day appointed by the Minister under subsection (2) of section 47 , and | ||
(b) a poll referred to in paragraph (a) shall continue for such period, not being less than 12 hours, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10.30 p.m. | ||
(2) An order under this section shall be published in Iris Oifigiúil as soon as may be after it is made. | ||
(3) The returning officer for a plebiscite to which an order under subsection (1) applies shall give public notice of the day on which, and the hours during which, the advance poll provided for by that order shall be taken. | ||
(4) In this section— | ||
“Covid-19” means a disease caused by infection with the virus SARS-CoV-2 and specified as an infectious disease in accordance with Regulation 6 of, and the Schedule to, the Infectious Diseases Regulations 1981 (S.I. No. 390 of 1981) or any variant of the disease so specified as an infectious disease in those Regulations; | ||
“pandemic” means an outbreak of disease— | ||
(a) occurring worldwide or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and affecting a large number of people, and | ||
(b) which has been declared by the World Health Organisation to be a pandemic. |