Constitution (Consequential Provisions) Act, 1937

The seal of the Government.

8.—(1) The Government shall have an official seal which shall be officially and judicially noticed.

(2) The seal of the Government shall, when affixed to any instrument or document, be authenticated by the signature of the Taoiseach or of the Tánaiste or of a secretary or other officer of the Government authorised by the Taoiseach to act in that behalf.

(3) More than one officer may at any time be authorised under the next preceding sub-section of this section to authenticate by his signature the seal of the Government, but such authorisation of two or more officers shall not render the signature of more than one such officer necessary for the authentication of the said seal.

(4) Every order or other instrument sealed with the seal of the Government shall, if such seal purports to be authenticated in accordance with this section, be received in evidence without further proof and, in particular, it shall not be necessary to prove any signature affixed to such instrument for the purpose of such authentication or to prove the office or authority of the person whose signature such signature purports to be.

(5) If no such seal as is provided for in the foregoing provisions of this section is available at the commencement of this Act, it shall be lawful for the Government to use, until such seal is available, the seal of the Executive Council of Saorstát Eireann, and for that purpose it is hereby declared and enacted that the seal of the Executive Council of Saorstát Eireann shall, in the circumstances and for the time aforesaid, be the seal of the Government within the meaning of this section and this section shall apply thereto accordingly.