26.—(1) The assessors may request any person (including a Department of State or any other public body (other than the Revenue Commissioners)) to furnish to them such records, documents or other information in his or her possession or control as they reasonably request for the purpose of—

(a) verifying any item of loss alleged by the claimant in his or her relevant claim, or

(b) complying with the provisions of any enactment that requires specified amounts to be deducted or specified matters to be taken account of in the making of an assessment of damages,

and the records, documents or other information that may be the subject of such a request include records, documents or information that came into existence, or into the possession of the person requested, before the passing of this Act, and it shall be the duty of such person to comply with such request.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the assessors may, for the purpose specified in subsection (3), request the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to furnish to them relevant particulars in relation to a mechanically propelled vehicle contained in a database that is maintained by it for the purposes of any Community act.

(3) The purpose mentioned in subsection (2) is the purpose of the Board's ascertaining the identity of the insurance company or undertaking, if any, which has entered in to an approved policy of insurance (within the meaning of the Road Traffic Act 1961) in respect of the vehicle referred to in that subsection.

(4) If the database referred to in subsection (2) is maintained for the time being by another person on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reference in that subsection to that Department of State shall, for so long as the database is maintained by that other person, be construed as a reference to that person.