14.— The National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Act 2000 is amended—

(a) in section 18, in the definition of ‘designated body’ , by substituting the following for paragraph (c):

“(c) the Health Service Executive established by section 6(1) of the Health Act 2004,”,

(b) in section 18, in the definition of ‘designated body’ , by substituting the following for paragraph (e):

“(e) a body specified in Schedule 4 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997,”,

(c) in section 18, in the definition of ‘designated body’, by inserting the following after paragraph (e):

“(ea) the Courts Service,

(eb) a university within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997, other than Trinity College and the University of Dublin,

(ec) the Dublin Institute of Technology,

(ed) a college within the meaning of section 2 of the Regional Technical Colleges Act 1992,

(ee) the Railway Procurement Agency, and

(ef) the Housing Finance Agency plc.”,

(d) in section 22, by inserting the following after subsection (1):

“(1A) The Minister—

(a) may engage in transactions of a normal banking nature in connection with the exercise of the powers in subsection (1), and

(b) for the purposes of those transactions, may issue such funds from the Exchequer as he or she considers appropriate.

(1B) All expenses and other costs incurred by the Minister or the Agency, as appropriate, in connection with or arising out of those transactions shall be charged on the Central Fund.”,

(e) in section 22, by substituting “subsections (1) and (1A)” for “subsection (1)” in subsection (2), and

(f) in Part 3, by inserting the following after section 25:

“Agency may procure foreign currency for Government Minister or designated body.

25A.— (1) Subject to first receiving the consent of the Minister for Finance, a Minister of the Government or a designated body may request the Agency to procure for that Minister of the Government or designated body, as the case may be, foreign currency on terms and conditions agreed between—

(a) the Agency, and

(b) that Minister of Government or designated body.

(2) The Agency has all the powers necessary for it to comply with a request made under subsection (1).

(3) The Agency, in connection with the performance of its functions under subsection (1), may—

(a) pay into any foreign currency clearing account created by the Minister for Finance under section 139 of the Finance Act 1993 the proceeds of any transaction denominated in a currency other than the currency of the State, and

(b) apply any amounts standing to the credit of any foreign currency clearing account towards the discharging of payment obligations arising under any transaction in connection with the performance of its functions under subsection (1).”.