57. (1) For the purpose of enabling the Agency to perform its functions, a statutory body may provide any service to the Agency on such terms and conditions (including payment for such service) as may be agreed and the Agency may avail of such service.

(2) A statutory body, where it has entered into a service contract with the Agency, shall appoint, from among its employees, persons to be authorised officers for the purpose of the contract and shall, as soon as may be, inform the Agency of any such appointment and such persons shall have all the powers available to authorised officers under this Act or F49[Part VIIA] of the Child Care Act 1991 when carrying out duties under a service contract.

(3) Every authorised officer appointed under this section shall be furnished, by the statutory body concerned, with a warrant of his or her appointment as an authorised officer and when exercising any power conferred on him or her by this section shall, if requested by a person affected by such exercise, produce the warrant or a copy thereof to that person.

(4) An appointment made under this section shall cease where—

(a) the relevant service contract is terminated,

(b) the appointment is for a fixed period, upon the expiry of that period, or

(c) where the person appointed ceases to be an employee of the statutory body concerned.

(5) Where a contract has been entered into in accordance with subsection (1), proceedings in relation to a summary offence may be brought and prosecuted by the statutory body concerned.

(6) In this section “service”includes the use of premises or equipment and the use of services or employees.