Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 26th January, 2024.

The Government, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by section 6 (1) of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1939 (No. 36 of 1939), hereby order as follows:

1. (1) This Order may be cited as the Electoral Reform (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2024.

(2) This Order comes into operation on 24 January 2024.

2. (1) The administration and business in connection with the exercise, performance or execution of any functions transferred by Article 3 are transferred to the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

(2) References to the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications contained in any Act or any instrument made under such Act and relating to any administration and business transferred by paragraph (1) shall, from the commencement of this Order, be construed as references to the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

3. (1) The functions vested in the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications by or under section 32 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 (No. 30 of 2022) are transferred to the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

(2) References to the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications in any Act or instrument made under such Act and relating to any functions transferred by this Article shall, from the commencement of this Order, be construed as references to the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

4. Where, immediately before the commencement of this Order, any legal proceedings are pending to which the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications is a party and the proceedings have reference to functions transferred by this Order to the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, the name of the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media shall, in so far as the proceedings relate to any function transferred by this Order, be substituted in the proceedings for that of the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications or added in the proceedings, as may be appropriate, and the proceedings shall not abate by reason of such substitution.

5. Anything commenced before the commencement of this Order by or under the authority of the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications may, in so far as it relates to functions transferred by this Order to the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, be carried on or completed from such commencement by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

6. Every document (including any certificate or licence) granted or made in the performance of a function transferred by this Order shall, if and in so far as it was operative immediately before the commencement of this Order, have effect from such commencement as if it had been granted or made by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

7. References to the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications contained in the memorandum and articles of association of any company and relating to any function transferred by this Order shall, from the commencement of this Order, be construed as references to the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

8. (1) All property, rights and liabilities held, enjoyed or incurred before the commencement of this Order by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications in connection with the functions transferred by this Order are transferred to the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and, accordingly, without any further conveyance, transfer or assignment, on such commencement –

(a) that property, real and personal, vests in the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media,

(b) those rights shall be enjoyed by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and

(c) those liabilities are liabilities of the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

(2) All moneys, stocks, shares and securities transferred to the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media by this Article which, on the commencement of this Order, are standing in the name of the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications shall, on the request of the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, be transferred into the name of the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Government,

23 January, 2024.

LEO VARADKAR,

Taoiseach.