62N. (1) Subject to subsection (2), every 3 years the Authority shall prepare and submit to the Minister a strategy statement for the following 3 years.

(2) The first strategy statement shall be prepared by the Authority and submitted to the Minister as soon as practicable after the establishment day of the Authority and shall relate to the period from its submission to the Minister until the day immediately before the third anniversary of the establishment day of the Authority.

(3) A second or subsequent strategy statement shall be prepared by the Authority and submitted to the Minister within the period of 6 months before the expiry of the period to which the previous strategy statement relates and the second or subsequent strategy statement shall relate to the period of 3 years from the anniversary of the establishment day of the Authority concerned.

(4) The Authority shall, in a strategy statement prepared under this section—

(a) set out the key objectives, outputs and related strategies of the Authority, including the use of its resources, and

(b) have regard to the need to ensure the most beneficial and efficient use of the resources of the Authority.

(5) Before submitting a strategy statement to the Minister in accordance with this section, the Authority—

(a) may publish in such manner as the Authority considers appropriate a draft of the strategy statement and, where it publishes the draft, it shall allow persons 30 days from the date of that publication within which to make representations in writing to the Authority with regard to the draft strategy statement, and

(b) following consultation under paragraph (a) and, where appropriate, having considered the representations (if any) made, shall submit the strategy statement to the Minister with or without modifications to take account of such representations.

(6) The Minister shall cause a copy of a strategy statement prepared and submitted to him or her pursuant to this section to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as practicable after the strategy statement has been received by him or her.]