Over 33,000 potentially unsafe products including toys, hoverboards, and kitchen appliances were stopped from entering the Irish market by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) in 2018.
42 consignments containing over 340,000 potentially unsafe products were examined.
The CCPC found that 33,688 products didn't meet relevant EU and Irish safety regulations.
The risks ranged from potential eye damage from sunglasses which did not provide UVA/UVB protection to fire hazards from unsafe phone chargers. 3,440 unsafe chargers and adaptors were destroyed last year.
“If we find that a trader has failed to fulfil their duties, we will not hesitate in taking appropriate measures, including seizure, forced destruction or re-exportation, to prevent unsafe products from being placed on the Irish market,” said Isolde Goggin, CCPC chair, in a statement.
Speaking about Brexit, Ms Goggin added: “Once the UK leaves the Customs Union, it will become a third country and products from the UK will be treated the same as products which have originated from any other non-EU country, such as China or the United States. If you buy from a UK-based supplier, you will be importing from a third country into the EU. Therefore, your business must comply with specific importers’ obligations under the relevant product safety regulations.
“As we prepare for Brexit, we are working to raise awareness of these important changes. We have also increased our staff resources to ensure that consumers in Ireland are not at risk from unsafe products after Brexit.”
