Conor Lenihan
Ceist:177 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps, if any, she will take to ensure that quality control in industry gets a higher priority. [1663/98]
Written Answers. - Quality Controls.
The primary responsibility for ensuring quality control in industry rests with industry itself. Industry generally is committed to improvement in this area. This can be seen from the activities of IBEC which encourage the implementation of quality control. One such example is the co-operation between IBEC and the CBI in Belfast in producing the all-Ireland register of companies with quality systems certified to the international ISO 9000 quality standard. This register is continually growing and records those companies willing to submit their quality control activities to evaluation by an independent third party body to check compliance with the standard.
I am committed to supporting all efforts made in both the public and private sectors to ensure the quality control is given a high priority by industry. In addition, the agencies under the remit of my Department promote the improvement and development of quality control systems in industry.
Forbairt, through its range of different programmes such as company development, national technology audit, world class manufacturing and its programmes in advanced technologies, PATS, assess the strengths and weaknesses of the quality control systems in place in Irish companies and provides aid, either financial or consultancy, to improve such systems. The National Standards Authority of Ireland — NSAI — provides the national focus for quality control standards which are based solely on international concepts. Consequently, industry is encouraged to implement practices which are recognised within the European Union and worldwide by customers and contractors. The NSAI seeks to link its work on quality standards to the needs of industry through both direct consultation and provisions of workshops and seminars for industry training.
The National Accreditation Board — NAB — is the Irish national body, under the remit of Forfás, with responsibility for accreditation in accordance with the harmonised EN 45000 series of European standards and the relevant International Organisation for Standardisation, ISO, standards and guides. Part of its activity deals with accrediting organisations involved in the certification of quality systems in industry. Such accreditation is the final step in ensuring that the level of quality being promoted by a particular body can be relied upon. It also has responsibility for accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories. It promotes these activities to ensure that industry can achieve the highest international level of quality for products and services.
In the private sector, I support the work done by Excellence Ireland, formerly the Irish Quality Association, which also seeks to encourage companies to improve their quality control.
Conor Lenihan
Ceist:178 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of ISO 9000 awards which have been given to date in 1998; and the way in which this compares with other countries in Europe and the rest of the world. [1664/98]
Conor Lenihan
Ceist:179 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her attention has been drawn to the fact that there is concern among industry quality control professionals that the ISO 9000 standards are not being adequately policed. [1665/98]
Conor Lenihan
Ceist:180 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of companies to date in 1998 which have had their ISO 9000 standard revoked; and if she will give an annual breakdown. [1666/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 178, 179 and 180 together.
I welcome the fact that, increasingly, there is a recognition by many firms in Ireland that acquiring and maintaining rigorous quality control standards is an integral part of the pursuit of excellence and of competitive advantage.
I do not have a direct function in regard to the granting of ISO 9000 certificates, which is a matter for the day-to-day operation of the National Standards Authority of Ireland or of the private sector bodies accredited to grant these certificates by the National Accreditation Board. I understand, however, that to date in 1998, the authority has issued six such certificates.
In relation to international comparisons, a survey reported in August 1996 that Ireland held seventh position in Europe in terms of overall certificates granted, and tenth position on a worldwide basis.
Regular surveillance inspection of companies issued with ISO 9000 certificates, to ensure continuing conformity with the standard, is a condition of certificates issued. Under section 19 of the National Standards Authority of Ireland Act, 1996, it is an offence for any company to falsely represent compliance of their quality system with ISO 9000 and either myself or the Director of Consumer Affairs may prosecute an offender under section 32 of that Act. Neither I nor the Director of Consumer Affairs have received any notification of specific instances of possible offences under this provision in respect of ISO 9000 certificate holders.