The Comhairle Act 2000 is amended by inserting the following section after section 18:

"18A. Exclusion resulting from membership of either House of the Oireachtas, European Parliament or local authorities.

(1) Where a member of the Board -

(a) is nominated as a candidate for election to either House of the Oireachtas or the European Parliament,

(b) is elected as a member of either House of the Oireachtas or the European Parliament,

(c) is nominated as a member of Seanad Éireann,

(d) is regarded under Part XIII of the Second Schedule to the European Parliament Elections Act 1997 as having been elected to that Parliament to fill a vacancy, or

(e) becomes a member of a local authority,

he or she thereupon ceases to hold office.

(2) Where a person who is a member of the staff of the Board -

(a) is nominated as a candidate for election to either House of the Oireachtas or the European Parliament,

(b) is elected as a member of either House of the Oireachtas or the European Parliament,

(c) is nominated as a member of Seanad Éireann,

(d) is regarded under Part XIII of the Second Schedule to the European Parliament Elections Act 1997 as having been elected to that Parliament to fill a vacancy, or