The purpose of this Bill is to extend the period for the holding of the local elections from the 30th September this year to the 30th September, 1941. It was considered—I think it was the view expressed by all Parties in the Dáil— that if the present emergency continued until September it would not be suitable to have the local elections held throughout the country during that time. While power is being taken in the Bill to hold the elections not later than the 30th September, 1941, it will be possible to hold them at any other time if the emergency does not exist or if conditions allow. I was anxious to have the local elections held this year, because I would much prefer to put the County Management Act into operation after the elections had been held rather than while the existing public bodies are there. However, it may be possible to put that Act into operation without having the elections. I am not too sure of that at the moment. It is a matter that will have to be examined. It was because of representations that were made to me by the National Defence Conference that I decided to introduce this Bill proposing to postpone the holding of the local elections this year. In any event it would be foolish to think that we could hold them in present circumstances.
Local Elections (Amendment) Bill, 1940—Second and subsequent Stages.
I agree with the Minister that possibly it is a wise thing to postpone the holding of the local elections this year. Sometimes they give rise to a good deal of local friction. There is one matter on which I would like to have some information from the Minister. The 1930 Act provides that a meeting of the Dublin Corporation shall be held each year between the 20th and the 30th June for the purpose of electing a fit and proper person to the office of Lord Mayor of the City of Dublin for the ensuing 12 months. If the Lord Mayor is elected in June, 1941, and if the local elections are held in September, 1941, what is the position going to be? The person elected Lord Mayor in June, 1941, would, I take it, like the other members of the corporation, have to seek re-election as a member of the corporation. Suppose he did not get returned, what would the position be?
Before it was decided to bring in this Bill postponing the holding of the elections, we proposed issuing a circular to all public bodies, including the Dublin Corporation, informing them that this being an election year they could not proceed to elect a Lord Mayor. In the ordinary way, if it is not an election year the Lord Mayors and Mayors of the other county boroughs, the Chairmen of the county councils and of other public bodies, must be elected between the 23rd June and the 1st July. If it is an election year the Lord Mayors, chairmen of county councils and so on carry on until an election is held. These offices are then filled immediately after the elections are held.
That clarifies the position.
Before the Bill is passed I want to be quite clear about the question I put to the Minister on the Second Reading. I take it that the position is that, if no election is held in Dublin City until September, 1941, the Lord Mayor who was elected last Monday night will retain Office until September, 1941.
Not necessarily, because the Minister may bring in another Bill to extend this period beyond September, 1941, in which case he would notify the Corporation that next year was not an election year, and that therefore they should proceed to hold the election for Lord Mayor.
That is the position.
That is to say that, in the case of a further postponement of the municipal elections, the Minister would notify the Corporation that the election of a Lord Mayor would have to take place in June of next year.
Yes.