Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is great to have the Minister back here today. I have a little bit of practical experience in this field through my auctioneering work. I have a qualification in fine arts and antiques so I have an appreciation for what we are talking about. Fianna Fáil certainly supports the general principles of the Hallmarking (Amendment) Bill 2016 and will support its passage to the next Stage. Hallmarking involves putting official marks or a series of marks on precious metals such as gold and silver to ensure that such metals conform to permissible standards of fineness of precious metals. The Bill also provides for the assaying and hallmarking in certain circumstances of articles of precious metals outside the State. In general, these legislative changes strengthen the regulation of hallmarking, which benefits consumers as it assures buyers of the standard of the materials used in these articles. Ensuring, through quality assurance, that these metals and materials are of certain quality increases consumer protection in this area. It gives a certain assurance and guarantee to customers that they are buying what they think they are buying. That is the most important part of the Bill. On behalf of Fianna Fáil, I am delighted to commend the proposed changes and general purpose of this Bill.