Information about financial transactions for use in designated state

15 .— (1) This section applies to a request for information in relation to any account or accounts that may be held in a financial institution in the State by a person who is the subject of a criminal investigation in a designated state.

(2) The request shall include—

(a) a statement that a specified offence has been committed in the designated state concerned and that the person mentioned in the request is the subject of an investigation into the offence,

(b) a statement that—

(i) any information that may be supplied in response to the request will not, without the Minister’s prior consent, be used for any purpose other than that specified in the request, and

(ii) the record of any such information will be returned when no longer required for the purpose so specified (or any other purpose for which such consent has been obtained), unless the Minister indicates that its return is not required,

and

(c) the following information:

(i) why the requesting authority considers that the requested information is likely to be of substantial value for the purposes of the investigation;

(ii) why it considers that a financial institution or financial institutions in the State may hold the account or accounts concerned;

(iii) if available, the name or names of that institution or those institutions;

(iv) the maximum period of imprisonment under the law of the designated state by which the offence is punishable; and

(v) any other information that may facilitate compliance with the request.

(3) In subsection (1), “information” includes—

(a) information as to whether a financial institution in the State keeps an account or accounts mentioned in that subsection,

(b) details of any such account or accounts,

(c) details of operations on any such account or accounts during a particular period.

16 .— The Minister may, if of opinion that the request complies with section 15 , authorise a member of the Garda Síochána not below the rank of inspector to apply to a judge of the High Court for an account information order or account monitoring order, or for both of those orders, in relation to the information requested.

17 .— (1) On receipt of an authorisation under section 16 a member of the Garda Síochána not below the rank of inspector may apply ex parte and otherwise than in public to a judge of the High Court for an account information order or account monitoring order or for both of those orders.

(2) The application—

(a) may relate to—

(i) all financial institutions in the State,

(ii) a category or categories of such financial institutions, or

(iii) a particular such financial institution or particular such financial institutions,

and

(b) shall be accompanied by a copy of the request concerned and of any supporting or related documents.

(3) The judge may make the order or orders applied for in relation to the financial institution or financial institutions specified in the application if satisfied that—

(a) there are reasonable grounds for believing that an offence under the law of the designated state concerned has been committed,

(b) the person mentioned in the request is the subject of an investigation into the offence,

(c) the request is otherwise in accordance with the relevant international instrument, and

(d) there are reasonable grounds for believing that the specified financial institution or financial institutions may have information which is required for the purposes of the investigation.

(4) An order under this section shall contain sufficient information in relation to any account specified in it to enable the account to be identified by the financial institution concerned.

(5) An order under this section has effect notwithstanding any obligation as to secrecy or any other restriction on disclosure imposed by statute or otherwise.

(6) Any information provided by a financial institution in compliance with such an order is not admissible in evidence against it, except in any proceedings for an offence under section 21 (1)(b).

18 .— Information disclosed by a financial institution in compliance with an account information order or account monitoring order under section 17 shall be transmitted to the requesting authority concerned in accordance with arrangements approved by the Minister.

19 .— During the execution of a request under this Part the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána, if of opinion that it may be appropriate to undertake investigations which were not initially foreseen or could not be specified when the request was made, shall inform the requesting authority accordingly.