16.—(1) The Minister shall, as the occasion requires, appoint a person, who shall be known as the Assessor of Youth Work, to exercise the functions of the Minister under section 8(1)(f), (g), and (h) and the other functions of the Assessor of Youth Work under this Act.

(2) The Minister may appoint an officer of the Minister to act in the office of the Assessor of Youth Work during any absence from the State or from duty of the Assessor of Youth Work or during any vacancy in that office (including any period before the date on which a person is appointed under subsection (1)).

(3) The Assessor of Youth Work may, in respect of youth work programmes or youth work services provided from moneys made available by virtue of this Act—

(a) examine the operation of those programmes and services, and

(b) examine any books, accounts and other records that relate to them.

(4) The provider of such a youth work programme or youth work service concerned shall furnish to the Assessor of Youth Work such information or documents in relation to the programme or service as may be required by the Assessor of Youth Work for the purposes of this section.

(5) Following an examination under subsection (3), the Assessor of Youth Work shall submit to the Minister and to the provider of the youth work programme or youth work service examined a report setting out the Assessor of Youth Work's findings.

(6) The Assessor of Youth Work shall submit to the Minister an annual report (referred to in this section as the “Annual Report of the Assessor”) and such other reports as the Minister may from time to time require.

(7) The Annual Report of the Assessor shall contain the results of the assessment of youth work programmes and youth work services carried out in accordance with section 8(1)(f), (g) and (h) and such other matters as the Minister may determine. The annual report and all such published reports shall be in the Irish and English languages.

(8) An Assessor of Youth Work appointed under subsection (1) shall be employed by the Minister in accordance with such terms and conditions, which may include secondment from another office or employment, and receive such remuneration, as the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, from time to time determines.

(9) The Minister may, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, provide such administrative, secretarial and other support to the Assessor of Youth Work as the Minister considers necessary.

(10) The Minister may at any time, for good and valid reasons, remove from the office the person appointed as Assessor of Youth Work.