21. (1) The Regulator shall keep in such form as may be approved by the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, all proper and usual accounts of—

(a) all moneys received or expended by the Regulator, and

(b) all property, assets and liabilities of the Regulator,

including an income and expenditure account and a balance sheet and, in particular, shall keep in such form as aforesaid such special accounts (if any) as the Minister may, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, from time to time direct.

(2) Accounts, signed by the chief executive, shall be submitted by the Regulator to the Comptroller and Auditor General for audit not later than 1 March in the year immediately following the financial year to which the accounts relate or on such earlier date as the Minister may, from time to time, specify.

(3) When audited, as referred to in subsection (2), a copy of the accounts and a copy of the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the accounts shall be presented by the Regulator to the Minister who shall, as soon as practicable, cause copies of them to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas.

(4) In this section “accounts” means accounts kept in accordance with subsection (1).