65.— (1) The Authority shall keep in such form and in respect of such accounting periods as may be approved of by the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, all proper and usual accounts of moneys received or expended by it, including an income and expenditure account and a balance sheet.

(2) Accounts kept in pursuance of this section shall be submitted, not later than three months after the end of the financial year to which they relate, by the Authority to the Comptroller and Auditor General for audit and, immediately after the receipt of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report on the accounts, a copy of the income and expenditure account, the balance sheet and of such other (if any) accounts kept pursuant to this section as the Minister, after consultation with the Minister for Finance, may direct and a copy of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report on the accounts shall be presented to the Minister who shall cause copies thereof to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas.

(3) As soon as practicable, but not later than 3 months after the end of each financial year, the Authority shall, in writing, report to the Minister in relation to the performance of its functions in that year and the Minister shall cause copies of the report to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas within 3 months of its receipt by him or her.

(4) The report under subsection (3) shall, in particular, indicate—

(a) the extent to which the Strategy Statement of the Authority was implemented in that year,

(b) the number of complaints made under section 49 in that year and the decision of the Authority in relation to the complaints, and

(c) the results of any review by or on behalf of the Authority of the cost-effectiveness of its operations.

(5) The Minister may give directions in writing to the Authority in regard to the format and content of a report under subsection (3), but such directions shall not require the Authority to include in such report details which could, in the opinion of the Authority, be prejudicial to the performance of its functions.

(6) The Authority shall give to the Minister such information relating to the performance of its functions as the Minister may request provided that such information would not, in the opinion of the Authority, be prejudicial to the performance of its functions.

(7) The financial year of the Authority shall be the period of 12 months ending on 31 December in any year and, for the purposes of this section and section 62, the period commencing on the establishment day and ending on the following 31 December shall be deemed to be a financial year.