7.— (1) The Bureau shall operate and maintain the database in accordance with this Act.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of section 7 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Bureau shall, in accordance with this Act, provide vetting services to relevant organisations in respect of relevant work or activities and, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the Bureau shall perform the following functions in relation to the provision of vetting services, namely:

(a) the consideration and processing of applications for vetting disclosure received by it from relevant organisations registered in the register of relevant organisations;

(b) the making of such enquiries within the Garda Síochána as the Bureau deems necessary to establish whether there are any criminal records or specified information relating to persons who are the subject of applications for vetting disclosure (in this subsection referred to as “the persons concerned”);

(c) the examination of the database to establish whether it contains particulars of specified information relating to the persons concerned;

(d) the making of such enquiries as the Bureau deems necessary for the purposes of establishing the identity of the persons concerned;

(e) the assessment for the purpose of disclosure (or otherwise) of specified information relating to the persons concerned for the purposes of determining whether or not it should be disclosed;

(f) the making of such enquiries of F3[scheduled organisations] or the Garda Síochána, as the case may be, as the Bureau deems necessary for the purposes of assessing specified information relating to the persons concerned;

(g) the making, in accordance with the provisions of this Act, of vetting disclosures in respect of the persons concerned to relevant organisations.

(3) The Bureau shall have all such powers as are necessary or expedient for the performance of its functions under this Act.