Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

This amendment relates to the powers of the National Consumer Agency with regard to product safety. The intention of this new section is to allow for the purposes of any proceedings under any of the statutory instruments specified in Schedule 6 the admissibility in evidence of the results of tests carried out by any laboratory recognised by any designated authority. The designated authorities in question are those specified under any of the European Union directives listed in Schedule 7. The section provides that the National Consumer Agency, in determining whether any product is unsafe or poses a serious risk to consumers, may have regard to a test carried out on the product by a laboratory recognised by any competent authority in any of the member states of theEuropean Community. It is a straightforward amendment.