15A.—(1) Not later than the day on which an order appointing the polling day at a European election is made, the Minister shall appoint a person to be the chief returning officer for the purposes of this Act.

(2) It shall be the duty of the chief returning officer to receive the returns furnished to him or her in pursuance of this Act by the returning officer for each constituency, to make in the prescribed form to the Parliament a return of the persons elected pursuant to this Act and to do such other things in respect of a European election as he or she is required by law to do.

(3) There shall be charged on and paid out of the Central Fund or the growing produce thereof to the chief returning officer such sums as the F35[Minister for Finance shall, with the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform,] sanction for that officer's services and expenses in respect of a European election.]