14.—(1) A member of the Council's staff (including the chief executive officer) is immediately seconded from employment by the Council if he or she is—

(a) nominated as a member of Seanad Éireann,

(b) elected as a member of either House of the Oireachtas or of the European Parliament, or

(c) regarded pursuant to section 19 of the European Parliament Elections Act 1997 as having been elected to the European Parliament to fill a vacancy.

(2) A person seconded from employment under subsection (1) shall not be paid by, or entitled to receive from, the Council any remuneration or allowances in respect of the period of secondment and that period shall not, for the purposes of any superannuation benefit, be counted as service with the Council.

(3) In relation to a person seconded from employment under subsection (1), the period of secondment begins on the occurrence of the relevant event referred to in that subsection and ends when the person ceases to be a member of either House of the Oireachtas or of the European Parliament.

(4) A person who is entitled under the Standing Orders of either House of the Oireachtas to sit in that House or who is a member of the European Parliament is, while so entitled or such a member, not eligible to be employed in any capacity by the Council.