8.— (1) The Chief Bureau Officer shall cause to be established and maintained, in such form (including electronic form) as he or she considers appropriate, a register of relevant organisations.

(2) A relevant organisation shall, in accordance with this section, apply to the Bureau to be registered in the register of relevant organisations.

(3) A relevant organisation that, immediately before the commencement of this section, is registered with the Garda Central Vetting Unit shall, on such commencement, be deemed to be registered in the register of relevant organisations.

(4) A relevant organisation shall not be required to comply with subsection (2) if applications for vetting disclosures are submitted to the Bureau on its behalf by another relevant organisation that is registered on the register of relevant organisations.

(5) A relevant organisation that submits applications for vetting disclosures on behalf of another relevant organisation shall furnish the Bureau with particulars of the name and address of the relevant organisation concerned.

(6) An application under this section shall—

(a) be in such form (including electronic form) as may be specified by the Bureau,

(b) specify the name and address of the relevant organisation,

(c) contain such other information in relation to the relevant organisation as the Bureau may reasonably require for the performance of its functions under this Act, and

(d) be accompanied by such fee (if any) as may be prescribed.

(7) The Bureau may—

(a) refuse an application for registration under this section, or

(b) remove an entry relating to an organisation registered in the register from it,

if it is of the opinion that the organisation is not, or is no longer, as the case may be, a relevant organisation.

(8) The Bureau shall, as soon as practicable, after a decision is made by it under this section notify an organisation of—

(a) a decision to register the organisation,

(b) a decision to refuse to register the organisation, or

(c) a decision to remove an entry relating to the organisation from the register,

and, in the case of a decision referred to in paragraph (b) or (c), the Bureau shall specify in writing the grounds upon which the decision was made.

(9) A person who fails to comply with subsection (2) shall be guilty of an offence.

(10) In proceedings for an offence under subsection (9), it shall be a defence for the accused person to show that the accused person neither knew nor could reasonably be expected to know that he or she or it, as the case may be, was a relevant organisation.

(11) If a particular entered in the register of relevant organisation is incorrect, the relevant organisation to which the particular relates shall, as soon as may be after becoming aware of its being incorrect, inform the Bureau thereof accordingly.