23Meetings of Council

23 Meetings of Council

(1) The Chairperson: (a) shall convene such meetings of the Council as are necessary for the efficient conduct of its functions; and (b) shall, on receipt of a written request signed by not fewer than 4 members, convene a meeting of the Council. (2) The Minister may at any time convene a meeting of the Council. (3) The Chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the Council at which he or she is present. (4) In the event of the absence of the Chairperson from a meeting of the Council, the members present shall elect one of their number to preside at that meeting. (5) At a meeting of the Council, a quorum is constituted by a majority of the members. (6) If, because of rules made for the purposes of section 29 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013, a member is not present at a meeting of the Council during a deliberation of the Council with respect to a matter, but there would be a quorum if that member were present, the remaining members present constitute a quorum for the purpose of any deliberation or decision of the Council at the meeting with respect to that matter. (7) Subject to subsection (8), all questions arising at a meeting of the Council shall be decided by a majority of the votes of the members present and voting, including the member presiding. (8) In the event of an equality of votes on a resolution proposed at a meeting of the Council, the resolution shall be taken not to be passed but, if the same resolution is proposed at the first meeting of the Council held after the date of that first‑mentioned meeting and there is again an equality of votes, the member presiding has a casting vote on the resolution. (9) The Council may regulate the conduct of proceedings at its meetings as it thinks fit. (10) The Council shall keep minutes of proceedings at its meetings. (11) If the Council so determines, a member of the Council may participate in, and form part of a quorum at, a meeting of the Council by means of any of the following methods of communication: (a) telephone; (b) close circuit television; (c) any other method of communication determined by the Council. (12) A determination of the Council under subsection (11) may be made in respect of a particular meeting, or in respect of all meetings, of the Council. (13) A member of the Council who participates in a meeting as provided by subsection (11) shall be taken for the purposes of this Part to be present at the meeting. (14) If the Council so determines, a resolution shall be taken to have been passed at a meeting of the Council if, without meeting, a majority of the members who would, if present at a meeting of the Council and entitled to vote on the resolution at that meeting, have constituted a quorum of the Council indicate agreement with the resolution in accordance with the method determined by the Council.