55.—(1) The Agency may, of its own volition, and shall when requested by a Minister of the Government, give information or advice or make recommendations for the purposes of environmental protection F61[or radiological protection] to any such Minister on any matter relating to his functions or responsibilities and that Minister shall have regard to any such information or advice given or recommendations made.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the Agency—

(a) may, and shall when requested by a Minister of the Government—

(i) prepare and submit to the Minister concerned an assessment of any proposal for, or any proposal for the amendment or the implementation of, any treaty governing the European Communities or any act of the institutions of those Communities or other international convention or agreement to which the State is, or may become, a party having a bearing on environmental protection F62[or radiological protection],

(ii) advise the Minister concerned in relation to any proposals for legislative change, or on any other policy matters, concerning environmental protection F63[or radiological protection] and related matters,

(iii) submit to the Minister concerned any proposals it may consider appropriate for amendment of any enactment, or for new enactments, concerning environmental protection F64[or radiological protection],

(iv) prepare and submit information to, or advise, the Minister concerned in relation to guidelines, standards and other matters including management of coastal areas in relation to environmental protection F65[or radiological protection],

(v) report on and make recommendations to the Minister concerned on particular F66[issues or problems relating to environmental matters or radiological protection],

(b) may, and shall when requested by the Minister, make recommendations to the Minister in relation to any modification or extension of the functions of the Agency which it considers appropriate.

(3) The Minister may, by order made after consultation with any other Minister of the Government concerned, provide that a function performable by the Agency under subsection (1) or subsection (2) (a) shall be performable also in relation to any other public authority for which that other Minister is responsible.

(4) The Agency may, for any Minister of the Government or any public authority designated by order under subsection (3) or for any other person or body, organise and promote, or assist in organising and promoting, conferences, seminars, lectures, demonstrations,training courses or publications for persons involved in environmental protection F67[or radiological protection].