Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 12 Feb 1992

Vol. 131 No. 6

Patents Bill, 1991: Report and Final Stages.

Bill reported without amendment and received for final consideration.

Question proposed: "That the Bill do now pass."

Minister of State at the Department of Industry and Commerce (Mr. Leyden)

I want to express my appreciation to Senators for their co-operation in passing this legislation. I will be reporting back to the Dáil on some of the amendments which were put forward here. This is a very important Bill. It will provide a very efficient system of examination of patent applications and will enable Ireland to ratify two important conventions, the European Patent Convention and the Patent Co-operation Treaty. It will enhance the reputation of Ireland internationally. It will provide a special low cost system of protection for small inventors, i.e. the short term patents. I am heartened by the welcome shown to the Bill in this House and the debate which took place. This Bill will now pass into law as soon as possible and we will do our utmost to reduce the patent backlog after the Bill is in operation.

I appreciate the co-operation of Senators and the contributions they make to legislation. I have always done my utmost to ensure that legislation comes before this House in the first instance because of the very detailed knowledge available here and the assistance given by all in this House.

Mr. Howard

We are now at the point of passing this Bill. I am satisfied that it will do what is intended. I also recognise that part of the reason the Bill was brought forward was to take account of certain EC directives. I was not present, for certain reasons, during the earlier debate on this Bill but I understand that it has been very thoroughly debated. I know my party would prefer to have certain strengthening additions or provisions to the Bill which they felt were lacking. Nonetheless the Bill will be an improvement on existing legislation.

I thank the Minister on behalf of my party for the co-operative manner in which he has dealt with his brief and the various exchanges of views thereon. While we would have preferred the provisions of the Bill to have included other matters, nonetheless it does constitute an improvement on the legislation as it stands.

Dr. McCarthy

The impending passage of this Bill is a welcome development in Irish industry, for inventors and entrepreneurs.

I should like to express my gratitude to the Minister of State present, Deputy Leyden, and his senior Minister, the Minister for Industry and Commerce who I know have put an enormous amount of work into this Bill. It would be remiss of me not to compliment Mr. Seán Fitzpatrick, the Controller of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, on the tremendous work he has undertaken with regard to patents over the years in extremely difficult circumstances, occasioned particularly by the lack of facilities. It would be my hope that the Minister and his Minister of State would bear in mind one point I raised specifically, which was that, of all Government agencies this is one of the few that makes a profit despite its lack of facilities. I appeal to the Minister to increase the facilities available to the Patents Office for their benefit and that of the country generally.

Question put and agreed to.