172.— (1) Where a direction or notification is required under this Part to be given to a person, it shall be in writing, addressed to the person and given to the person in one of the following ways—

(a) by delivering it to the person,

(b) by leaving it at the address at which the person ordinarily carries on business,

(c) by sending it by post in a pre-paid registered letter addressed to the person at the address at which the person ordinarily carries on business,

(d) if an address for the service of directions or notifications has been furnished by the person, by leaving it at, or sending it by pre-paid registered post addressed to the person at that address,

(e) in any case where the person giving the direction or notification considers that the immediate giving of it is required, by sending it, by means of electronic mail or a facsimile machine, to a device or facility for the reception of electronic mail or facsimiles located at the address at which the person ordinarily carries on business or, if an address for the service of directions or notifications has been furnished by the person, that address, but only if—

(i) the sender’s—

(I) facility for the reception of electronic mail generates a message confirming a receipt of the electronic mail, or

(II) facsimile machine generates a message confirming successful transmission of the total number of pages of the direction or notification,

and

(ii) the direction or notification is also given in one of the other ways mentioned in any of the preceding paragraphs.

(2) For the purposes of this section—

(a) a company registered under the Companies Acts is deemed to carry on business at its registered office, and every other body corporate and unincorporated body is deemed to carry on business at its principal office or place of business, and

(b) the Minister is deemed to carry on business at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.