2. (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

“Act of 1941” means the Garda Síochána (Compensation) Act 1941;

“Act of 1945” means the Garda Síochána (Compensation) (Amendment) Act 1945;

“Act of 1961” means the Civil Liability Act 1961;

“Act of 2003” means the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003;

“Act of 2004” means the Civil Liability and Courts Act 2004;

“Act of 2005” means the Garda Síochána Act 2005;

F1["Act of 2024" means the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024;]

“applicant” means a person who has made an application for initial assessment and shall be construed in accordance with subsection (2);

“application for initial assessment” means an application referred to in section 7;

“document” means—

(a) a book, record or other written or printed material,

(b) a photograph,

(c) any information stored, maintained or preserved by means of any mechanical or electronic device, whether or not stored, maintained or preserved in legible form, or

(d) any audio or video recording;

“enactment” has the same meaning as it has in section 2(1) of the Interpretation Act 2005;

“former member” means a person who was a member, but who, at the time the application for initial assessment is made, has ceased to be a member;

“Garda Commissioner” means the person for the time being appointed as the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána in accordance with F2[section 26 of the Act of 2024], or a person performing the functions of the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána F2[pursuant to section 28 of that Act];

“initial assessment report” has the meaning assigned to it by section 13(1)(b)(i);

“malicious incident” means an incident, whether occurring before or after the commencement of this Act, as a result of which personal injuries (which may include injuries causing death) were maliciously inflicted on—

(a) a member, where such injuries were inflicted—

(i) in the performance of his or her duties as a member while actually on duty,

(ii) while exercising powers or otherwise acting in his or her general capacity as a member when off duty or on leave or otherwise not actually on duty, or

(iii) while on duty or off duty or on leave or at any other time because of anything previously done by him or her as a member or merely because of his or her being a member,

or

(b) a person who had previously been, but at the time when such injuries were inflicted, or at the time of his or her death from such injuries, had ceased to be a member, where such injuries were inflicted on the person because of anything done by him or her as a member or merely because of his or her having been a member;

F2[“member” means—

(a) a member of An Garda Síochána within the meaning of the Act of 2024, and

(b) a trainee within the meaning of the Act of 2024;]

F1["member of garda staff" has the same meaning as it has in the Act of 2024;]

“Minister” means the Minister for Justice;

“prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Minister;

“regulations” means regulations made by the Minister under this Act;

“reporting officer” means a person appointed under subsection (1) or (2)(a) of section 12;

“review officer” means a person assigned under subsection (2) or (7)(a) of section 15.

(2) A reference in this Act to an applicant—

(a) shall include a reference to a person acting on behalf of the applicant in accordance with section 8(4), and

(b) where a single application for initial assessment is made by more than one person in accordance with section 8(3)(b), shall include a reference to each such person.