Nurses Act, 1985

SECOND SCHEDULE

Rules in relation to membership and meetings of An Bord Altranais (The Nursing Board)

Section 6 .

Tenure of Office

1. Subject to the provisions of this Schedule in relation to the filling of casual vacancies, every member of the Board shall hold office, unless he sooner dies, resigns or becomes disqualified, for a period of five years.

2. No person shall hold office as a member of the Board for more than two consecutive terms of five years.

Resignation and Termination of Membership

3. The Minister may at any time terminate the appointment of a member of the Board who was appointed by him.

4. A member of the Board may resign his membership by giving notice in writing signed by him to the Board, but the resignation shall not become effective until the meeting of the Board next held after receipt of the notice of resignation.

5. The membership of the Board of a person appointed by election shall terminate on his ceasing to be a nurse.

Casual Vacancies

6. (a) Whenever a casual vacancy occurs among the members of the Board other than those appointed by election, the Board shall forthwith notify the Minister who, following consultation with such body or organisation as he considers suitable to advise him shall, as soon as is convenient, appoint a person to fill such vacancy and any person so appointed shall serve as a member of the Board for such period as is unexpired of the term of office of the person whom he replaces.

(b) Whenever a casual vacancy occurs among the members of the Board appointed by election, the Board shall co-opt a person who would, pursuant to the provisions of this Act, be eligible for election to fill such vacancy and any person so co-opted shall serve as a member of the Board for such period as is unexpired of the term of office of the person whom he replaces.

Quorum

7. The quorum for a meeting of the Board shall be nine; provided that, in the case of a meeting of the Board where the matter of the erasure of the name of a nurse from the register, or any division thereof, is on the agenda, the quorum shall be twelve.

Meetings

8. The Board shall hold at least four meetings in every year and may hold such other meetings as may be necessary for the performance of its duties.

President and Vice-President

9. (1) The Board shall, from time to time, elect one of its members to be President of the Board and another of its members to be Vice-President of the Board.

(2) A President and Vice-President of the Board, as the case may be, shall each hold office as such for such term as may be specified by the Board at the time of his appointment unless—

(a) he ceases to be, or becomes disqualified from being, a member of the Board,

(b) he resigns the office of President or Vice-President, as the case may be, and his resignation becomes effective under this paragraph,

(c) the Board by a resolution, for which not less than two-thirds of the members of the Board vote, and of the intention to propose which not less than seven days notice is given to every member of the Board, terminates his appointment as President or Vice-President.

(3) A President or Vice-President of the Board may at any time resign his office by giving notice in writing signed by him to the Board, but the resignation shall not become effective until the meeting of the Board next held after the receipt by the Board of the notice of resignation.

(4) Whenever, at an election of the President or Vice-President of the Board, there is an equality of votes for two or more persons, it shall be determined by lot which of those persons shall be President or Vice-President as the case may be.

Proceedings at Meetings

10. The proceedings of the Board shall not be invalidated by any vacancy or vacancies among its members or by any defect in the appointments to the Board or in the qualifications of any member thereof.

11. The President, or in his absence, the Vice-President of the Board may, on his own initiative, or, shall, when he is requested so to do by a requisition signed by not less than ten members of the Board, convene a meeting of the Board.

12. (1) If the President, or in his absence the Vice-President, of the Board refuses to convene a meeting of the Board after a requisition for that purpose signed by not less than ten members of the Board has been presented to him, any five members of the Board may forthwith convene a meeting of the Board.

(2) If the President, or in his absence the Vice-President, of the Board, without so refusing, does not, within seven days after the presentation of a requisition for that purpose signed by not less than ten members of the Board, convene a meeting of the Board, any five members of the Board may, on the expiration of those seven days, convene a meeting of the Board.

13. At least three clear days before every meeting of the Board, notice, signed by the President or Vice-President of the Board, as the case may be, or, if the meeting is convened by members of the Board, by such members, of the time and place of the meeting shall be sent to every member of the Board: if the meeting is convened by members of the Board, the notice convening the meeting shall specify the business to be transacted thereat.

14. At a meeting of the Board—

(a) the President of the Board shall, if he is present, be the chairman,

(b) if and so long as the President of the Board is not present, or if the office of President is vacant, the Vice-President of the Board shall, if he is present, be the chairman,

(c) if and so long as the President of the Board is not present or the office of President is vacant and the Vice-President of the Board is not present or the office of Vice-President is vacant, the members of the Board who are present shall elect one of their number to be chairman of that meeting.

15. Minutes of the proceedings of all meetings of the Board shall be drawn up and entered in a book kept for that purpose and such minutes shall be signed by the chairman of the next ensuing meetings.

16. The names of all members present at a meeting of the Board shall be recorded in the minutes of the proceedings of the meeting.

17. Subject to Articles 7 and 9 (4) of this Schedule, all acts of the Board and all questions coming or arising before the Board may be done and decided by a majority of such members of the Board as are present and vote in relation to the act or matter at a meeting of the Board duly convened according to law.

18. In the case of equality of votes on any question arising at a meeting of the Board (other than the election of the President or the Vice-President) the chairman of that meeting shall have a second or casting vote.

19. Save as is otherwise provided by any enactment, including this Act, the Board may make standing orders for the regulation of its proceedings, and may amend or revoke such standing orders.