18.— (1) The Minister may make regulations for the purposes of this Act, including regulations for prescribing any matter or thing which is referred to in this Act as prescribed or to be prescribed or for the purpose of enabling any provision of this Act to have full effect.

(2) Regulations made under this Act may make different provisions, including provision for different requirements or exemptions, in relation to different areas, different circumstances, different classes of persons or water services or other activities.

(3) Without prejudice to any other provision of this Act, a regulation or order under this Act may provide for such incidental, consequential, supplementary or transitional provisions (including provisions for the purpose of securing the continuity of any provision of this Act with any provision of any other Act or instrument repealed, revoked, amended or otherwise affected by this Act or by any regulation or order made under it) as may appear to the Minister to be appropriate for the purposes of this Act or any regulations or order made under it.

(4) Every regulation made by the Minister under this Act shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made, and if a resolution annulling the regulation is passed by either House within the next 21 days on which that House has sat after the regulation has been laid before it, the regulation shall be annulled accordingly, but without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done thereunder.