6.—(1) The Minister shall be the Central Authority in the State for the purposes of this Act.

(2) The Minister may, by order, designate such persons as he or she considers appropriate to perform such functions of the Central Authority in the State as are specified in the order and different persons may be so designated to perform different functions of the Central Authority in the State.

(3) For so long as an order under subsection (2) remains in force, a reference in this Act to the Central Authority in the State shall, insofar as it relates to the performance of a function specified in the order, be construed as a reference to the person designated by the order to perform the function concerned.

(4) The Minister shall, by notice in writing, inform the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union of the making of an order under this section and of the names of the persons designated under the order.

(5) The Minister may, by order, amend or revoke an order under this section (including an order under this subsection).

(6) The Central Authority in the State shall, in each year, prepare a report on the operation, in the preceding year, of Part 2, and shall cause copies of each such report to be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is so prepared.