23Meetings of Council

23 Meetings of Council

(1) The Council Chairperson shall convene such meetings of the Council as, in the Chairperson’s opinion, are necessary for the efficient performance of the Council’s responsibilities. (2) The Minister may, at any time, convene a meeting of the Council. (3) The Council Chairperson shall convene a meeting of the Council upon receipt of a written request for a meeting signed by at least 4 Councillors. (4) At a meeting of the Council, a quorum is constituted by 5 Councillors. (5) Where: (a) a Councillor who is present at a meeting is required by rules made for the purposes of section 29 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 not to be present during the deliberations, or to take part in any decision, of the Council with respect to a particular matter; and (b) when the Councillor leaves the meeting there is no longer a quorum present; the Councillors remaining at the meeting constitute a quorum for the purpose of any deliberation or decision at that meeting with respect to that matter. (6) The Council Chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the Council at which he or she is present. (7) If the Council Chairperson is not present at a meeting of the Council: (a) if the Deputy Chairperson of the Council is present, the Deputy Chairperson of the Council shall preside at the meeting; and (b) in any other case, the Councillors present shall elect one of their number to preside at the meeting. (8) Questions arising at a meeting of the Council shall be determined by a majority of the votes of the Councillors present and voting. (9) The person presiding at a meeting of the Council has a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equality of votes, also has a casting vote. (10) The Council may regulate the conduct of proceedings at its meetings as it thinks fit and shall cause minutes of those proceedings to be kept.