asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he is aware that food stuffs such as flour, bacon, pigs' heads, butter, margarine, as well as other commodities, are being imported into the Saorstát without having the name of the country of origin or manufacture properly and legibly stamped or marked on each article so imported; whether, in view of the importance of such marking or stamping to Saorstát industries, as well as to consumers, he will introduce legislation at an early date amending the Merchandise Marks Acts to prevent such imports without such marking or stamping.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - MARKING OF IMPORTS.
Under Section 16 of the Merchandise Marks Act, 1887, the importation into Saorstát Eireann of foreign goods falling within the following categories is prohibited, namely:—(a) Any goods to which are applied marks or descriptions that are misleading as to the character, composition or origin of the goods; (b) any goods bearing a name or trade mark which is, or purports to be, the name or trade mark of any manufacturer of, or dealer in, goods of the same description in Saorstát Eireann, when such name or trade mark is not accompanied by a definite indication of the country in which the goods were made or produced. Imported goods bearing no marks, or marks not falling within either of the foregoing categories, are not required by law to bear an indication of the country of origin.
It is proposed to introduce legislation amending the Merchandise Marks Acts during the Autumn Session. Such legislation has been in preparation for some time.