The first President shall enter upon his office not later than one hundred and eighty days after the date of the coming into operation of this Constitution.

After the date of the coming into operation of this Constitution and pending the entry of the first President upon his office the powers and functions of the President under this Constitution shall be exercised by a Commission consisting of the following persons, namely, the Chief Justice, the President of the High Court, and the Chairman of Dáil Éireann.

Whenever the Commission is incomplete by reason of a vacancy in an office the holder of which is a member of the Commission, the Commission shall, during such vacancy, be completed by the substitution of the senior judge of the Supreme Court who is not already a member of the Commission in the place of the holder of such office, and likewise in the event of any member of the Commission being, on any occasion, unable to act, his place shall be taken on that occasion by the senior judge of the Supreme Court who is available and is not already a member, or acting in the place of a member, of the Commission.

The Commission may act by any two of their number.

The provisions of this Constitution which relate to the exercise and performance by the President of the powers and functions conferred on him by this Constitution shall apply to the exercise and performance of the said powers and functions by the said Commission in like manner as those provisions apply to the exercise and performance of the said powers and functions by the President.