I move:
That, with effect from 3 February 2004, the Standing Orders of Seanad Éireann relative to Public Business are hereby amended by——
(a) the deletion, in Standing Orders 53(2)(a) and 54, of ‘Standing Order 56' and the substitution therefore of ‘Standing Orders 56 and 56A';
and
(b) the adoption of the following as an additional Standing Order of Seanad Éireann relative to Public Business:-
56A.(1) Unless the Seanad shall otherwise order, divisions in the Seanad may be conducted by electronic means save in the case of a division on the election of Cathaoirleach.
(2) Where the Cathaoirleach informs the Seanad at any time that it is not possible to conduct divisions by electronic means or that the result may be unreliable or where, for any other reason, he or she considers that divisions should not be so conducted, the Cathaoirleach may order the Seanad to divide or to divide again, as the case may be, on the question, whether by electronic means of otherwise, as he or she considers appropriate in the circumstances, or may postpone the taking of the division to such later time as he or she shall direct.
(3) On the announcement by the Cathaoirleach of the result of a division which has been taken by electronic means, any member may demand-
(a) that the division be taken again by electronic means, or
(b) that the division be taken again otherwise than by electronic means, and the Cathaoirleach shall, unless the member who so demands is a teller nominated for the purpose of that division, call upon the members who support the demand to rise in their places and
(i) if fewer than five members so rise, the Cathaoirleach shall forthwith declare the determination of the Seanad or Committee of the whole Seanad, and the names of the members who so rise shall be recorded as dissenting in the Journal of Proceedings of the Seanad,
(ii) if five or more members so rise or if the member who so demands is a teller nominated for the purposes of that division, the Cathaoirleach shall order the Seanad to divide again on the question in the manner so demanded.
(4) In respect of divisions by electronic means, where the question on which a division has been demanded is put immediately after the result of an earlier division has been declared, the period for which the division bells are rung and the interval between the ringing of the bells and the locking of the doors shall be not less than two minutes and not less than one minute respectively.