John Cregan (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 176: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the situation in relation to the metrology unit in Enterprise Ireland; the reason it has lost interest in the metrology unit; the person who recommended that the unit transfer to NSAI; if there is not an inherent conflict in a national organisation attempting to offer both calibration and certification services to the same customers; if EU partners have not arrived at the same conclusion; the reason the metrology unit cannot stay where it is and where it works; if a move will take place; if it will not be logical to bring metrology and legal metrology together in a new body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27194/05]

Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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The Metrology Act 1996 provided for the establishment of a legal metrology service within Forbairt and for its functions to be exercised through the Director of Legal Metrology. Section 21 of that Act deals exclusively with national metrology functions and defines the legal basis and locus of responsibility for functions related to all metrology in the State. Subsequently responsibility for metrology was transferred from Forbairt to the NSAI by virtue of the Industrial Development (Enterprise Ireland) Act 1998. Section 51 of this Act also gave specific responsibility to NSAI "to promote the use and application of metrology in the State". The NSAI, therefore, has legislative responsibility for all metrology in the State.

The metrology laboratory is located on the Enterprise Ireland campus in Glasnevin. The laboratory carries out functions on behalf of the National Standards Authority of Ireland — NSAI — through its staff who are Forfás staff seconded to Enterprise Ireland. Enterprise Ireland has been providing the necessary resources to NSAI, since 1998, through its staff working in the metrology laboratory, the cost of which is borne by NSAI.

It will be clear to the Deputy that the Oireachtas has already determined where responsibility for metrology functions lies, namely the NSAI. While the functions in this regard have been transferred, the budgetary arrangements supporting the activities of the laboratory, the transfer of ownership of the laboratory infrastructure and the regularisation of the position of staff working in the laboratory required further consideration. I advise the Deputy that the budgetary arrangements are now in place and that I expect the transfer of ownership of the laboratory to NSAI to take place shortly. On the single remaining issue discussions are taking place between my Department, management of the State agencies involved and staff representatives to regularise the position of the staff working in the laboratory.