Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006

Section 2(1) or (4)

SCHEDULE 3 Non-compliance with St Andrews Agreement timetable

Dissolution of Northern Ireland Assembly

1 If this Schedule comes into force before 30 January 2007 or after 7 March 2007, the Northern Ireland Assembly shall be dissolved on the date on which it comes into force.

Postponement of next Northern Ireland Assembly election

2 (1) In section 31 of the 1998 Act (Northern Ireland Assembly: dates of elections and dissolutions), for subsection (2) substitute—

“(2) The date of the poll for the election of the Assembly next following the current Assembly shall be a date to be specified in an order made by the Secretary of State.

In this subsection “the current Assembly” means—

(a) if Schedule 3 to the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 comes into force on or before 7 March 2007, the Assembly elected at the poll on 26 November 2003;

(b) otherwise, the Assembly elected at the poll on 7 March 2007.

(2A) An order under subsection (2) may not specify a date falling on or before the date on which the poll would (apart from that subsection) fall to be held under subsection (1).

(2B) An order under subsection (2) may include provision making such modifications of—

(a) any enactment (other than one contained in this Act), or

(b) any provision of subordinate legislation,

as appear to the Secretary of State to be necessary or expedient for the purposes of, or in consequence of or in connection with, the order.

(2C) An order under subsection (2) may, in particular, make provision modifying any duty of the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland whereby (apart from the order) he must perform any function or discharge any duty on or by reference to a particular date.

(2D) An order under subsection (2) may also make such supplementary, incidental or consequential provision as the Secretary of State considers necessary or expedient.”

(2) In subsection (1) of that section, for “subsection (2)” substitute “subsections (2) to (3)”.

Repeal of certain provisions of this Act etc

3 (1) The following provisions of this Act are repealed—

(a) section 1(1) and (2),

(b) section 3,

(c) Schedule 1,

(d) Schedule 2,

(e) Schedule 4, and

(f) Part 2 (including Schedules 5 to 7).

(2) If this Schedule comes into force on 28 March 2007, the enactments amended by Part 2 (including Schedules 5 to 7) shall be deemed to have effect, as from that date, as if the amendments made by that Part had not been made.