8. —(1) In any proceedings relating to an offence under section 2 a certificate purporting to be signed by an officer of the Department of Foreign Affairs and certifying that—

(a) a passport was issued by the Department to a specified person on a specified date, and

(b) to the best of the officer's knowledge and belief, the person has not ceased to be an Irish citizen,

is admissible in any proceedings, without further proof, as evidence that the person was an Irish citizen on the date on which the offence under section 2 with which the person is charged was committed, unless the contrary is shown.

(2) A certificate purporting to be signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions or by a person authorised by the Director in that behalf and stating any of the matters specified in paragraph (a) or (b) of section 7(4) is evidence of the facts stated in the certificate, unless the contrary is shown.

(3) A document purporting to be a certificate under subsection (1) or (2) is deemed, unless the contrary is shown—

(a) to be such a certificate,

(b) to have been signed by the person purporting to have signed it, and

(c) in the case of a certificate under subsection (2) purporting to be signed by a person authorised by the Director of Public Prosecutions in that behalf, to have been signed by such a person.