55. (1) The local returning officer may, for the purpose of taking the poll or the verification of ballot paper accounts at a European election, and the returning officer may, for the purpose of counting the votes at such an election use, free of charge, any school or any room in a school and any premises (other than a dwelling house) owned or occupied by a local authority.

(2) The returning officer or the local returning officer shall make good any damage to, and may defray any expenses incurred by the person having control over such school, room or premises by reason of its being used by the said officer at a European election.

(3) The use of any unoccupied premises or any part thereof for the purpose of taking the poll, verifying the ballot paper accounts or counting the votes at a European election shall not make the premises liable to be rated or render any person liable to pay any rate for the premises.

(4) A person having charge of a school adjoining or forming part of a church or other place of worship or a religious establishment may, within twenty-four hours after receiving notice from the returning officer or local returning officer of an intention to use such school or any part thereof at a European election, object to such use by sending a statement of such objection to the officer by whom the notice was given. Any objection made under this paragraph may, on the application of the returning officer or the local returning officer, as may be appropriate, be over-ruled by the Minister if the Minister thinks it right so to do, but unless and until such objection is so over-ruled, no part of the school referred to in such objection may be used under this rule.

(5) In this rule “school” means any school receiving a grant out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas and includes a national school and a secondary, vocational or other post-primary school.