National Standards Authority of Ireland Act, 1996

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Functions.

7.—(1) The functions of the Authority shall be―

(a) to encourage the use of standard specifications with a view to improving the technical processes and methods used in the industries of the State;

(b) to formulate for the Minister, in accordance with the Minister's directions, specifications for commodities, processes and practices, as the Minister may from time to time request;

(c) with the consent of the Minister, to declare under the seal of the Authority any specification so formulated to be an Irish Standard Specification for the commodity, process or practice to which it relates, and regularly to publish a list of standard specifications so declared;

(d) to make recommendations to the Minister on matters concerning standards and certification;

(e) to formulate guides, recommendations and codes of practice for processes and practices used in the manufacturing and service industries;

(f) to participate in the activities of other national, regional, European or international standards bodies having objectives or functions similar or relevant to the objectives or functions of the Authority;

(g) to perform any function, arising from the accession of Ireland to international treaties, conventions or bodies including membership of the European Union, which relates to standardisation, harmonisation, certification or inspection; so far as this does not interfere with the functions of other State agencies or bodies;

(h) to certify any commodity, process or practice as conforming with an Irish Standard Specification, or with any standard of another Member State of the European Union or with any other recognised published specification;

(i) to determine, licence and supervise the use of standard marks in relation to any commodity, process or practice on behalf of itself or of any other body;

(j) to arrange for the testing and analysis of commodities, particularly in relation to certification and approval schemes, by or on behalf of the Authority;

(k) to promote and disseminate information concerning the formulation, publication and harmonisation of standards; and

(l) to enter into agreements with bodies in other countries and, in particular, agreements relating to mutual recognition of certificates of conformity.

(2) The functions of the Authority shall not include any functions vested in Forfás by the Industrial Development Act, 1993 , other than those to which section 8 relates.