25.—(1) The Authority shall, whenever so requested by the Minister, furnish to him or her information in relation to such matters as he or she may specify concerning or relating to the performance of its functions, or its plans for the future performance of its functions, generally or in respect of any report or account prepared by the Authority under section 24 of this Act or the policy and activities, other than day-to-day activities, of the Authority.

(2) Each report under subsection (1) of this section shall include information in such form and regarding such matters as the Minister may direct.

(3) Not less than 3 months before the end of each financial year of the Authority, it shall furnish to the Minister a report in writing—

(a) outlining its proposed activities (other than day-to-day activities) in the financial year immediately following,

(b) giving estimates of its expenditure in the forthcoming financial year in relation to each of those activities, and

(c) giving estimates of its income in the forthcoming financial year,

and the Authority shall not carry out any of those activities or incur any such expenditure until the report has been approved of by the Minister.

(4) The Authority shall not during any financial year—

(a) carry out any activity (other than a day-to-day activity) not specified in the report under subsection (3) of this section in relation to that year, or

(b) incur expenditure in relation to any activity in excess of the estimate of that expenditure given in that report,

without the prior approval of the Minister.

(5) From time to time, and whenever so requested, the Chief Executive shall account for the performance of the functions of the Authority to a Committee of one or both Houses of the Oireachtas.