(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Part, the Second Schedule, and Parts VII and VIII of the Electoral Act, 1997, the Minister may, by order, authorise a body, other than a registration authority, to prepare and maintain any of the following:

(i) a register of electors including the postal voter lists and special voter lists, a supplement to the register including supplements to the postal voter lists and special voter lists, an edited register and an edited supplement for one or more registration areas;
(ii) a register of the kind referred to in subsection (1)(a) of section 13B and a register of the kind referred to in subsection (1)(b) of that section.

(2) A body authorised pursuant to subsection (1) shall be deemed to be a registration authority for the purpose of this Part, the Second Schedule and Parts VII and VIII of the Electoral Act, 1997.

(3) An order under subsection (1) may provide that the cost of preparing and publishing the registers referred to in that subsection shall be met by the registration authorities to whose registration areas those registers relate.

(4) The Minister may, by order, revoke or amend an order under this section (including an order under this subsection).

(5) Where an order under this section (including an order under subsection (4)) 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.