171.—(1) It is the duty of a person to whom section 167(1) applies to prepare and furnish to the ethics registrar in accordance with subsection (2) or (3), as the case may be, an annual written declaration (in this Part referred to as an “annual declaration” or “declaration”, as the case may be), in the form prescribed by regulations made by the Minister, signed and dated by him or her and containing—

(a) particulars of his or her declarable interests (within the meaning of section 175), and

(b) an undertaking by him or her to have regard to and be guided by the relevant code of conduct in the exercise of his or her functions.

(2) Each member of a local authority shall prepare and furnish to the ethics registrar within the return period each year, an annual declaration and a statement that none of the grounds for disqualification referred to in section 13 or 182, or under section 20 of the Local Elections (Disclosure of Donations and Expenditure) Act, 1999, apply.

(3) Each employee of a local authority shall prepare and furnish to the ethics registrar within the return period each year an annual declaration.

(4) The Minister may notwithstanding the definition of return period in section 166 prescribe by regulations a different commencement date or a different return period to the commencement dates or periods referred to in the definition of return period as the commencement date or period from or within which a declaration shall be furnished.

(5) It shall not be necessary to specify in an annual declaration under this section the amount or monetary value of any declarable interest within the meaning of section 175.