12.— The Act of 1990 is amended by inserting the following after section 17:

“Payment of fines to building control authority.

17A.— Where a court imposes a fine or affirms or varies a fine imposed by another court for an offence under this Act in proceedings brought by a building control authority, it shall, on application of the building control authority (made before the time of such imposition, affirmation or variation), provide by order for the payment of the amount of the fine to the building control authority and such payment may be enforced by the authority as if it were due to it on foot of a decree or order made by the court in civil proceedings.

Costs of prosecution, etc.

17B.— On convicting a person of an offence under this Act in proceedings brought by a building control authority, the court shall, unless it is satisfied that there are special and substantial grounds for not doing so, order the person to pay to the authority the costs and expenses, as measured by the court, incurred by the authority in relation to the investigation, detection and prosecution of the offence, including costs incurred in respect of the remuneration and other expenses of employees, consultants and advisers.

Evidential value of electronically stored information.

17C.— In any proceedings under this Act, a certificate issued by a building control authority purporting to be a printout of data stored by the authority in electronic format or data stored in photographic, digitised or other modern format, being, in either case, data relating to the performance by the authority of any function under this Act or to any plans, documents or information submitted to it under this Act or regulations thereunder, shall have evidential value.”.