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Article 8
 

(1) A person shall be entitled to be registered as a Dáil elector in a constituency if he has reached the age of eighteen years and he was, on the qualifying date—


(a) a citizen of Ireland, and
(b) ordinarily resident in that constituency.


(2) (a) In addition to those entitled to be registered under subsection (1) a person shall be entitled to be registered as a Dáil elector in a constituency if he is a person who has reached the age of eighteen years and who on the qualifying date—


(i) complied with the requirement of subsection (1) (b), and
(ii) was either—


(I) a British citizen, or
(II) a national of a Member State to which this subsection applied on that date.


(b) This subsection applies to a Member State which is for the time being the subject of a declaration under subsection (3).


(3) Where the Minister is of opinion that—


(a) the law of a Member State relating to the election of members of, or deputies or other representatives in or to, the National Parliament of that Member State enables citizens of Ireland, by reason of their being such citizens and being resident in that Member State, to vote at such an election, and
(b) the provisions of that law enabling citizens of Ireland who are so resident so to vote are the same, or are substantially the same, as those enabling nationals of that Member State so to vote, the Minister may by order declare that Member State to be a Member State to which subsection (2) applies.


(4) (a) The Minister may by order specify criteria or other matters to which regard shall be had in order to determine whether or not a person is for the purpose of this section a national of a Member State and such order may provide that the provisions of the order shall relate to all Member States or to such one or more Member States as are specified in the order.


(b) An order under this subsection may amend the definition of "a British citizen" in paragraph (a) of subsection (7) or the provisions of paragraph (b) of the said subsection (7).
(c) In this subsection—
"Member State" means a Member State of the European Communities other than the State;
"national of a Member State" shall not be construed as referring to the State, or as including a citizen of the State.


(5) Where—


(a) an order under subsection (4) is for the time being in force, and
(b) a Member State to which the order applies is for the time being a Member State to which subsection (2) applies, clause (II) of subsection (2) (a) (ii) shall be construed and have effect subject to the provisions of the order.


(6) (a) The Minister may revoke or amend an order under this section (including an order under this subsection).


(b) Where an order under this section (including an order under this subsection) is proposed to be made, a draft thereof shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas and the order shall not be made until a resolution approving of the draft has been passed by each such House.


(7) (a) Subject to subsection (4), in this section—


"a British citizen- means a person who under the Act of the British Parliament entitled the British Nationality Act 1981 is a British citizen;
"Member State", except in subsection (4), means a Member State other than the State or the United Kingdom;


"national of a Member State" except in subsection (4), shall not be construed as referring to the United Kingdom or as including a British citizen.


(b) The reference in paragraph (a) to the Act of the British Parliament mentioned in that paragraph is a reference to that Act as enacted by that Parliament on the 30th day of October, 1981.