Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

It is often when the consumer item is on the shelf or perhaps another country may have had experience of a certain product and the consumer agency may be alerted to the unsafe nature of a particular product. Other jurisdictions might alert our agency. There will be some degree of international co-operation between agencies. It is often the case, particularly at Christmas, that a particular product could be on the shelves. Word will come through that the product is unsafe and this is a way of nipping things in the bud and preventing any further distribution into the marketplace. Very often the agency would have the authority to inform the Revenue Commissioners and ask them to detain the product.