asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he is aware of the delay in the examination of trade mark applications in the Patent Office; whether such delays are due to the fact that no legally qualified personnel are employed in the office; and what steps he proposes to take to have this matter rectified.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Patent Office.
170.
I am aware of the delays to which the Deputy refers. These delays are not due to the absence of staff with legal qualifications. They arise largely from the considerable increase in recent years in the number of applications for registration of trade marks, coupled with the difficulty of providing and training adequate staff to deal with these applications. I am making every effort to supply the Controller of the Patents Office with adequate staff, but the Deputy will appreciate that suitable staff has to be recruited in competition with commercial interests.