75.— (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), this section applies to a request for assistance in obtaining specified evidential material or evidential material of a specified description for the purposes of criminal proceedings, or a criminal investigation, in a designated state, where there is power under any enactment to issue a warrant for the search of a place in respect of an offence constituted by the conduct giving rise to the request.

(2) This section does not apply to such a request from a member state unless the act is punishable—

(a) under the law of the State and the member state by imprisonment for a maximum period of at least 6 months, or

(b) under the law of the State by such imprisonment and under the law of the member state by virtue of being an infringement of the rules of law which is being prosecuted by the administrative authorities and where the decision may give rise to proceedings before a court having jurisdiction in particular in criminal matters.

(3) This section does not apply to such a request from a designated state (other than a member state) unless the conduct giving rise to the request is punishable under both the law of the State and the law of that state.

(4) This section also applies to such a request from a member state which is made in connection with a request under Part 4 for the freezing of evidence in proceedings for an offence which may be punished in that state by imprisonment for a term of not less than 3 years.

(5) The Minister, if of opinion that this section applies to the request, may, subject to subsection (6), send the request and any accompanying and related documents to the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána to arrange for the request to be complied with.

(6) The Minister shall not proceed in accordance with subsection (5) unless an assurance is given by the requesting authority—

(a) that any material that may be furnished in response to the request will not, without his or her prior consent, be used for any purpose other than that permitted by the relevant international instrument or specified in the request, and

(b) that the material will be returned when no longer required for the purpose so specified (or any other purpose for which such consent has been obtained), unless he or she indicates that its return is not required.

(7) A member of the Garda Síochána shall not enter any place in furtherance of the request without the consent of the occupier or the entry being authorised by an order under this section.

(8) Unless the material sought is already in the custody of the Garda Síochána, a member of the Garda Síochána not below the rank of inspector shall, on production of a copy of the request and of any accompanying or related documents, apply to the judge of the District Court for the district where the evidential material is situated for an order under subsection (10).

F74[(8A) Where the material sought is already in the custody of the Garda Síochána or has been obtained on foot of an order under subsection (10), the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána shall arrange for the material to be transmitted to the requesting authority—

(a) without delay,

(b) in accordance with the request, and

(c) in accordance with any directions that the Minister may give.]

(9) If, on the application, the judge is satisfied that this section applies to the request and it appears to him or her that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the person named in the request possesses the evidential material, the judge may make an order under subsection (10).

(10) An order under this subsection—

(a) shall require any person who appears to the judge to be in possession of the evidential material—

(i) to produce it to a named member of the Garda Síochána so that he or she may take it away, or

(ii) to give the member access to it, either immediately or within a period specified in the order,

(b) may, if the order relates to evidential material at any place and on application by a member of the Garda Síochána, require any person who appears to the judge to be entitled to grant entry to the place to allow the member to enter it to obtain access to the material,

(c) shall authorise such a member, if the person who is so required to grant entry to the place does not do so—

(i) to enter the place, accompanied by such other members or persons or both as the member thinks necessary, on production if so requested of the order and, if necessary, by the use of reasonable force,

(ii) to search the place and any persons present there,

(iii) to access, examine, seize, take away and retain any evidential material which is found at the place or in the possession of a person so present and which the member reasonably believes to be the material concerned, and

(iv) to take such other steps as appear to the member to be necessary for preserving the evidential material and preventing interference with it.

(11) Where the evidential material consists of information contained in a computer, an order under this section has effect as an order to produce the material, or to give access to it, in a form which is legible and comprehensible or can be made so and in which it can be taken away.

(12) Such an order—

(a) in so far as it may empower a member of the Garda Síochána to take away a document or to be given access to it, authorises him or her to make a copy of it and to take the copy away,

(b) does not confer any right to production of, or access to, any evidential material subject to legal privilege, and

(c) subject to paragraph (b) and subsection (17), has effect notwithstanding any other obligation as to secrecy or other restriction on disclosure of information imposed by statute or otherwise.

(13) Any evidential material taken away by a member of the Garda Síochána under this section shall be dealt with in accordance with the request.

(14) A judge of the District Court may at a sitting of the Court vary or discharge an order under this section on the application of a member of the Garda Síochána or of any person to whom the order relates.

(15) A member searching a place under the authority of an order under subsection (10) may—

(a) require any person present at the place where the search is being carried out to give his or her name and address to the member, and

(b) arrest without warrant any person who—

(i) obstructs or attempts to obstruct the member in carrying out his or her duties,

(ii) fails to comply with a requirement under paragraph (a), or

(iii) gives a name or address which the member has reasonable cause for believing is false or misleading.

(16) A person who—

(a) obstructs or attempts to obstruct a member of the Garda Síochána acting under the authority of an order under this section,

(b) fails to comply with a requirement in an order under this section, or

(c) gives a false or misleading name or address to a member,

is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €2,500 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or both.

(17) Where—

(a) material has been supplied to a Government department or other authority by or on behalf of the government of another state,

(b) an undertaking was given that the material would be used only for a particular purpose or purposes,

an order under this section does not have the effect of requiring or permitting the production of, or the giving of access to, the material for any other purpose without the consent of that government.

(18) This section is without prejudice to section 74.

(19) In this section—

“evidential material” includes any such material relating to assets or proceeds deriving from criminal conduct in the designated state concerned or their identity or whereabouts;

“member state” includes the Swiss Confederation.