asked the Minister for Justice whether he will take steps to codify and simplify the law relating to the sale of poisons on the lines recently followed by Great Britain in order to clarify the position of merchants and pharmacists dealing in these commodities.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - The Sale of Poisons.
The answer is in the negative.
Is the Minister aware that, as the situation stands at present, neither the average merchant, nor the manufacturer nor the public nor the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland nor the officials of the Department of Justice are fully aware of what the provisions of the poisons code are and that it is quite impossible to find out? Is the Minister aware of that?
On behalf of the Minister for Justice I rise to say that the law relating to the sale of poisons is quite clear; that a book has been published by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland at the price of 5/-, and I am aware that no one interested in the subject can say that it is difficult to say what the provisions of the poisons code are.
May I inquire if at this moment anybody knows and anybody can say whether certain disinfectant fluids are permissible to be sold by a merchant who is not a chemist?
I am not in a position to say.
Yes, and nobody else is either. Will the Minister ask his colleague, the Minister for Justice, to look into this matter?
Yes, I will.