(1) In this Act -

"the Act of 1894" means the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, and, save where the context otherwise requires, shall be construed as referring to that Act as amended or extended by subsequent enactments;

"chief officer of customs and excise" includes the collector, or other chief officer of customs and excise at each port;

"consular officer" includes any consular officer, whether he is or is not in the Civil Service of the State and also includes a person nominated whether individually or by reference to a class by the Minister for External Affairs, after consultation with the Minister, to exercise consular functions for the purposes of this Act or of any specified sections thereof;

"diplomatic officer" means a person in the Civil Service of the State who is an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, an envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, a chargé d'affaires, a counsellor of embassy or legation, a secretary of embassy or legation or an attaché;

"the General Register and Record Office" means the office to be maintained in accordance with section 96 of this Act;

"Irish body corporate" means a body corporate established under and subject to the law of the State and having its principal place of business in the State;