Paragraph 1 I1

in subsection (1), for “and (3)” substitute “ to (4) ”;

after subsection (3) add—

“(4)

Any period during which a councillor is suspended or partially suspended under Part 9 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 is to be disregarded for the purpose of calculating the period of six months under subsection (1) (and accordingly—

(a)

a period during which a councillor fails to attend meetings of the council that falls immediately before, and

(b)

a period during which a councillor fails to attend meetings of the council that falls immediately after,

a period of suspension or partial suspension are to be treated as consecutive).”.