The measure will benefit the pharmaceutical sector in Ireland in particular assisting in the development of new or generic versions of pharmaceutical products. The new provisions will apply to tests and trials carried out in Ireland for the purposes of getting regulatory approval of the new products anywhere in the world.

This measure was first identified in the 2012 Action Plan for Jobs and it will ensure that Ireland continues to remain an attractive base for the location of future investment by pharmaceutical companies that rely on a safe environment for the research and development of new products.

Welcoming the measure, Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation Damien English said "this Act paves the way for pharma companies in Ireland to continue to innovate and develop new and generic pharmaceutical products.  It will heighten awareness of Ireland as a location that places a strategic focus on Innovation by creating the right business ecosystem for this strategically important sector to grow and develop". The Act introduces a small number of technical amendments to trademark legislation to pave the way for Ireland's eventual ratification of an international trademark treaty known as the Singapore Treaty on the law of Trademarks.  

See link to Intellectual Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/pdf/2014/en.act.2014.0036.pdf

Notes
Existing patent law already provided for a limited research exemption. However, there was an opportunity to deepen and broaden the existing research exemption to match that offered in a number of European Union Member States in order to retain competitiveness in a highly-competitive sector.

In relation to Trade Marks legislation, the Act now in force brings in some technical amendments to the law which will enable Ireland to ratify the Singapore Treaty on Law of Trademarks in due course. This Treaty reduces red tape by harmonising the administrative procedures of trade mark offices globally but does not impact on substantive trade mark law.

The Act also makes a small number of technical amendments to the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014.

Taken together, these legislative reforms underline Ireland's commitment to ensuring the highest standards of intellectual property protection and fully exploit their products and services within a modern regulatory framework. The pharma sector represents a large proportion of Ireland's exports—over €20 billion in 2013—and these changes help safeguard existing and future investment in this sector.