The Government moved quickly yesterday to quell criticism on delays in the Patents Office, announcing an investigation into the situation and the establishment of a users' council to propose future improvements.

Speaking to the Dail, the Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Bruton, said he was concerned at newspaper reports and suggestions from the Progressive Democrats TD Mr Michael McDowell that more than 10,000 trade mark applications were waiting to be processed and that the office was in a state of chaos.

"The Government would not be happy if Ireland's reputation as a competitive location for industry and commerce was being undermined by such delays," Mr Bruton said.

He said the introduction of a new procedure for registering trade marks, as a result of the Trade Marks Act of 1996, had caused administrative delays at the office.

Given the fact that the examiners working in the trade marks section of the Patents Office had previously succeeded in reducing a similar if not larger backlog arising from different circumstances, Mr Bruton said, he felt sure that they would quickly overcome the current backlog.