31B. —(1) The Placenames Committee shall consist of the following members—

(a) a Chairperson, and

(b) not less than 7 and not more than 10 ordinary members, each of whom shall be appointed by the Minister.

(2) The Minister shall designate one member of the Placenames Committee as Chairperson.

(3) The Placenames Committee shall consist of persons who are competent in the Irish language, and—

(a) have experience of, or expertise in, matters relating to placenames, or both, or

(b) are experts in Irish history.

(4) A member of the Placenames Committee shall be subject to such terms and conditions and be paid such allowances for expenses as the Minister may, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, determine.

(5) If the Chairperson is for any reason unable to continue to act as Chairperson, the Minister may designate another member of the Placenames Committee to act as Chairperson.

(6) A member of the Placenames Committee shall hold office for such period not exceeding 3 years from the date of his or her appointment, as the Minister shall determine.

(7) Subject to subsection (8), a member of the Placenames Committee whose term of office expires by the effluxion of time shall be eligible for reappointment to the Placenames Committee.

(8) A member of the Placenames Committee who has served 2 consecutive terms of office shall not be eligible for reappointment to the Placenames Committee until a period of 3 years has elapsed following the end of the second consecutive term.

(9) A member of the Placenames Committee may resign from the Placenames Committee by letter addressed to the Minister, and the resignation shall take effect on the date specified in the letter, or the date on which the Minister receives the letter, whichever is the later.

(10) A member of the Placenames Committee may at any time be removed from membership of the Placenames Committee by the Minister if, in the Minister’s opinion, the member has become incapable through ill-health of performing his or her functions, or has committed stated misbehaviour, or his or her removal appears to the Minister to be necessary for the effective performance by the Placenames Committee of its functions.

(11) A member of the Placenames Committee shall cease to be, and shall be disqualified from being, a member of the Placenames Committee where such member—

(a) on conviction on indictment by a court of competent jurisdiction is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, or

(b) is subject or is deemed to be subject to a disqualification order, within the meaning of Chapter 4 of Part 14 of the Companies Act 2014, whether by virtue of that Chapter or any other provision of that Act.

(12) The Minister shall determine the procedures of the Placenames Committee.]