51.—(1) As soon as practicable, but in any case not later than 3 months after the end of each year, the Authority shall prepare and submit a report (in this section referred to as the “annual report”) to the Minister and the Minister shall cause copies of the annual report to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas.

(2) The annual report shall be in the form that the Minister may direct and shall include—

(a) information on the performance of the Authority’s functions during the year to which the report relates having regard to the strategy statement and work programme of the Authority,

(b) information on the performance of any agreement under section 34(2),

(c) information in relation to any annual report furnished to the Authority under section 33(3), and

(d) any other information that the Authority considers appropriate or that the Minister may require.

(3) The Authority—

(a) may, as it considers appropriate, make any other reports to the Minister relating to its functions, and

(b) shall publish its annual report.