6. (1) Subject to this section and sections 7 and 8, an tArd-Chláraitheoir shall, on application by a relevant person who has attained the age of 16 years to him or her in that behalf in writing and on payment to him or her of such fee as may be prescribed by the Minister for Social Protection—

(a) search the register of births and the index thereto, together with the Adopted Children Register and the index provided for under section 86(1) of the Act of 2010, and

(b) give the relevant person or, where section 8 applies, the Authority—

(i) a copy, certified by him or her to be a true copy,

(ii) a copy, or

(iii) a certified extract,

of an entry in the register of births pertaining to the birth of the relevant person.

(2) Subject to this section and sections 7 and 8, a relevant body that holds a birth certificate in respect of a relevant person who has attained the age of 16 years shall, on application to it in writing by the relevant person, provide the relevant person or, where section 8 applies, the Authority with a copy of the birth certificate.

(3) An application under subsection (1) or (2) shall—

(a) be in such form as the recipient body concerned may specify, and

(b) include such contact details of the applicant as are required for the performance by the recipient body and the Authority of their functions under this Part.

(4) (a) An tArd-Chláraitheoir, where he or she conducts a search under subsection (1)(a) and finds no entry in the register of births pertaining to the birth of the applicant concerned shall, in writing and without delay, inform the applicant of that fact.

(b) A relevant body that receives an application under subsection (2), where it does not hold the birth certificate to which the application relates, shall, in writing and without delay, inform the applicant of that fact.

(5) In this section and sections 7 and 8 —

“applicant” means, in relation to an application under subsection (1) or (2), the relevant person who makes the application;

“recipient body” means, as the case may be—

(a) an tArd-Chláraitheoir, or

(b) a relevant body that receives an application under subsection (2).