52.—(1) An offence under this Part of this Act may be prosecuted by a health authority in whose functional area the offence is committed.

(2) Any proceedings for an offence under this Part of this Act may, notwithstanding any enactment limiting the time within which such proceedings may be brought, be brought either within the time as so limited or within three months from the date on which evidence sufficient in the opinion of the Minister to justify a prosecution for the offence comes to the knowledge of the health authority by which the offence may be prosecuted.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2) of this section the Minister may certify the date at which the evidence mentioned in the said subsection came to the knowledge of a health authority, and such certificate shall be conclusive evidence of the said date.