17.— (1) On receipt of an authorisation under section 16 a member of the Garda Síochána not below the rank of inspector may apply ex parte and otherwise than in public to a judge of the High Court for an account information order or account monitoring order or for both of those orders.

(2) The application—

(a) may relate to—

(i) all financial institutions in the State,

(ii) a category or categories of such financial institutions, or

(iii) a particular such financial institution or particular such financial institutions,

and

(b) shall be accompanied by a copy of the request concerned and of any supporting or related documents.

(3) The judge may make the order or orders applied for in relation to the financial institution or financial institutions specified in the application if satisfied that—

(a) there are reasonable grounds for believing that an offence under the law of the designated state concerned has been committed,

(b) the person mentioned in the request is the subject of an investigation into the offence,

(c) the request is otherwise in accordance with the relevant international instrument, and

(d) there are reasonable grounds for believing that the specified financial institution or financial institutions may have information which is required for the purposes of the investigation.

(4) An order under this section shall contain sufficient information in relation to any account specified in it to enable the account to be identified by the financial institution concerned.

(5) An order under this section has effect notwithstanding any obligation as to secrecy or any other restriction on disclosure imposed by statute or otherwise.

(6) Any information provided by a financial institution in compliance with such an order is not admissible in evidence against it, except in any proceedings for an offence under section 21(1)(b).