asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if there is any international agreement which can be availed of to prevent stores and distributors from displaying goods as Irish goods, when in fact they are not; if his Department have any information as to the frequency of this practice; and what action his Department take when such practice is brought to their notice.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Display of Goods as Irish-made.
132.
This country is a party to the "Madrid Agreement for the repression of false or deceptive indications of source" which was revised at Lisbon in 1958.
I have not received any complaint of the kind referred to by the Deputy but if the details of any such case are given to me I will have the matter investigated without delay, with a view to taking suitable action, either in the context of the Madrid Agreement or otherwise.
Surely the Minister is familiar with the old gimmick of using the words "Déanta sa tSeapáin" which is understandable, I would suggest, only to people fairly familiar with Irish? Surely there is an obligation to ensure that the customer is not misled into thinking an article is Irish when it is not? I would suggest this is the intention behind that particular trade mark, and it has worked successfully for years.
The Deputy's point arises in connection with my answer to Question No. 131 rather than No. 132, which relates to a slightly different matter, where goods which, for example, appear to be Irish tweeds are sold but are not Irish. I have had no complaint to indicate any such things have happened.