Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Amendments Nos. 4 and 18 are designed to combine and align the annual reporting requirements under the Bill with earlier reporting requirements on the Controller of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks under the Patents Act 1992. The effect of amendment No. 4 will be to replace the existing section 18 of the Bill in its entirety. This amendment and amendment No. 18, which amends section 103 of the 1992 Act, deal comprehensively with the reporting requirements on the controller under all enactments under his supervision.

Senators will recall that during the Committee Stage debate on this Bill, concerns were raised that the controller's annual report will be submitted to the Minister only. The Minister, Deputy Mitchell O'Connor, indicated in response that she would introduce an amendment to ensure the wider circulation of the controller's annual report on KDB activities. The effect of amendments Nos. 4 and 18, which align all the controller's annual reporting requirements, will be to ensure the Bill provides for the controller's annual report on KDB activities to be submitted to the Minister in the first instance. Importantly, the Minister in turn will lay the report before both Houses of the Oireachtas. I believe these amendments address the concerns behind amendment No. 5, in the names of Senators Mac Lochlainn and Devine, and amendment No. 10, in names of Senators Higgins and Black.