asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if a manufacturing licence was issued to a firm (name supplied); and, if so, if he will give details, including dates.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Issue of Manufacturing Licence.
79.
No licence under the Control of Manufactures Acts, which have been repealed from 1st January, 1968, was issued to the firm in question.
Is the Minister aware that the company is claiming that the goods are manufactured in Ireland when, in fact, no manufacturing licence has been issued to this company— Intercontinental Pharmaceuticals Ltd. —but the goods are on sale in Britain and purport to be manufactured in Ireland? What measures could be taken to prevent this practice which is giving this country such a bad name?
The Deputy, perhaps, may not have adverted to what I said. The Control of Manufactures Act has ceased to operate as from 1st January of this year.
Did the Minister say that?
I did. In fact, no licence was issued prior to that, nor was one applied for.
Last October, drugs of this company were on sale in Britain and the containers were found to contain the wrong drug, and they were stated to have been manufactured in Dublin, as a result of which this country has got a bad name which may jeopardise the export of drugs from this country.
That is a different question.
The fact is that this company were manufacturing prior to 1st January, 1968. They stated that they were manufacturing in this country.
I do not know if the Deputy is quite correct in saying they stated this. There was something on the container which could be interpreted as meaning that the contents were made by this company in Ireland but I do not think that was specifically stated on the container.
Sharp practice.
Publicity in England suggested that.
The Deputy will appreciate that the publicity in England may not necessarily be completely accurate but I am sure the Deputy will also understand that I would be very anxious to deal in so far as I can with the situation which appears to have arisen in this case. The Deputy is also aware of the fact that both my Department and the Department of Health have been concerned with it. We have not as yet completed the investigations we are making and are not yet in a position to take action in the matter.
And you are not getting any co-operation.
Certainly not: the contrary.