Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 18 Apr 2000

Vol. 518 No. 3

Written Answers. - Irish Agrément Board.

David Stanton

Question:

82 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No. 124 of 11 April 2000, the exact dates when the 45 product applications currently under assessment and the six new applications awaiting processing were received by the Irish Agrément Board; when it is expected to have certificates issued or refused in each case; the average time it takes for such a decision to be reached; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11536/00]

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Mr. Treacy)

Of the 45 product applications noted as under assessment in the response to Parliamentary Question No. 124 of 11 April 2000, three have since received Agrément certificates. The following table provides details on the date of receipt of application by the Irish Agrément Board for the remainder of the products in question. The figure of 45 applications under assessment given in the response to Parliamentary Question No. 124 included six applications which were then awaiting processing.

File Number	Application received on:
1/1997	1 October 1997
4/1998	21 May 1998
11/1998	30 June 1998
12/1998	18 June 1998
7/1999	4 March 1999
8/1999	11 November 1999
9/1999	3 June 1999
101/1999	13 April 1999
102/1999	13 April 1999
103/1999	13 April 1999
104/1999	6 April 1999
105/1999	12 May 1999
106/1999	18 May 1999
107/1999	14 May 1999
108/1999	17 June 1999
109/1999	21 June 1999
110/1999	19 August 1999
111/1999	18 August 1999
112/1999	20 August 1999
113/1999	20 August 1999
114/1999	7 September 1999
115/1999	16 September 1999
116/1999	17 September 1999
117/1999	23 September 1999
118/2000	22 December 1999
119/2000	7 January 2000
120/2000	26 October 1999
121/2000	9 November 1999
122/2000	4 December 1998
123/2000	21 February 2000
124/2000	15 July 1998
125/2000	28 January 2000
126/2000	17 February 2000
127/2000	17 February 2000
128/2000	22 February 2000
129/2000	8 March 2000
130/2000	10 March 2000
131/2000	21 March 2000

Four applications are awaiting processing, which does not begin until an initial payment has been received from the applicant. A number of applications received in 1999 and 1998 have been given file references from a later year. These are applications which had been suspended and subsequently reactivated in a later year.

Agrément certification has been put in place for innovative products in areas where standards do not exist. The process demands an approach which sometimes necessitates an innovative testing methodology. Some of the tests can be of short duration, for example, a period of months. Other applications may rely on the results of tests already carried out. However, some processes involve a two way communication between the IAB and the applicant, which may touch on areas of design and research. Due to the unique nature of each Agrément certification process it is not possible to provide definitive dates for the issue–

refusal of certification for the products under assessment. However, the NSAI estimates on the basis of a recent survey that the average length of time for processing applications is 11 months from application to certificate.