42. (1) The Agency shall prepare and adopt a corporate plan to be submitted to the Minister for approval, with or without amendment, for each ensuing 3 year period.

(2) A corporate plan shall—

(a) include the Agency’s key objectives, outputs and related strategies,

(b) except in the case of the first such plan, include a review and evaluation of the work of the Agency in the performance of its statutory functions in the previous 3 years,

(c) be prepared in a form and manner in accordance with any directions issued from time to time by the Minister,

(d) be prepared and submitted to the Minister no later than—

(i) in respect of the first corporate plan, 3 months after the receipt of the Performance Framework, developed in accordance with section 41,

(ii) in respect of each subsequent corporate plan, 3 months from the receipt of the relevant Performance Framework,

and

(e) accord with the policies and objectives of the Minister F32[, the Minister for Education] and the Government as they relate to the functions of the Agency.

(3) In preparing the corporate plan, the Agency shall have regard to the Performance Framework provided by the Minister.

F32[(3A) The Agency shall provide a copy of a corporate plan to the Minister for Education at the same time as it submits the corporate plan to the Minister under subsection (2)(d)(ii).

(3B) Within 30 days of receiving a copy of a corporate plan under subsection (3A), the Minister for Education may, in so far as the corporate plan relates to the education welfare functions of the Agency, issue directions regarding amendments to the proposed plan.]

(4) Within 30 days of receiving a corporate plan, the Minister shall—

(a) approve the plan,

(b) issue directions regarding amendments to the proposed plan, or

(c) refuse to approve the plan where the plan is not amended in accordance with any directions that may be given by the Minister F33[or the Minister for Education] to the Agency.

(5) An approved corporate plan may be amended by—

(a) the Minister F33[with, in so far as the corporate plan relates to the education welfare functions of the Agency, the consent of the Minister for Education] at any time, or

(b) the Agency, where—

(i) the Agency submits the proposed amendment to the Minister for approval, and

(ii) the amendment is approved by the Minister F33[with, in so far as the corporate plan relates to the education welfare functions of the Agency, the consent of the Minister for Education].

(6) Nothing in a corporate plan shall limit the Agency in the performance of its functions.