What does Guaranteed Irish symbol mean

Le_Dieux

Can anyone enlighten me on the significance of the Guaranteed Irish symbol on products? I am particularly referring to the 'Irish' Daily Mail. They have this green 'G' on the top of their paper.

Yes, they may print the paper in Ireland, but when one types in www.irishdailymail.ie/com, they are directed to the UK version. When one googles Irish daily mail, and opens the wikipedia page on the paper, top right of the page gives the official website as www.dailymail.co.uk

Surely this is taking the mickey?

dudara

Are you referring to the Guaranteed Irish symbol?



I've only had a cursory read through the site, but I can't see the explicit criteria for being Guaranteed Irish?

Le_Dieux

Yep, that is what I am referring to. They may be employing Irish people to print their paper, but to use a UK website is a cheap shot, imho.

Paulw

The paper is Irish, (edited/printed) but their website is UK (or actually there is no specific Irish website).

Is your gripe that they don't have an Irish website??

the groutch

and misuse of the symbol is exactly the kind of story they would run, oh the irony

coylemj

I don't see why you're linking the location of the website with the hardcopy newspaper's use of the Guaranteed Irish (GI) symbol, they have nothing to do with each other. Even if you end up at a website with an address like dailymail.ie it doesn't mean it's hosted in Ireland so it's really of no significance whatsoever.

The newspaper is probably printed in Ireland and lots of the stories are probably written by Irish journalists so a significant element of the cost of producing the paper is money spent in Ireland, that's why they're using the GI symbol.

The product doesn't have to be 100% Irish to be eligible for the GI symbol, Ford Escorts in the 1970s used to ship with a GI sticker on the back window because they were assembled in Cork.

drunkmonkey

As far as I know that guaranteed Irish isn't exactly true.

You could buy a chicken that was wrapped in guaranteed Irish packaging but the chicken itself might not be, it could have been prepared and packed here but the chicken itself could be from Mexico. It was a chef told me that, not sure if it's true.

Le_Dieux

I just feel the DM is using every angle to flog their papers in the ROI. They are using the Guaranteed Irish insignia as it suits them, while they don't bother their asses to set up an Irish site.

ZENER

I'm curious as to what the website has to do with anything. You bought the paper and that's all you paid for isn't it ? Does it say Guaranteed Irish on the website ? I doubt it !

The GI website says : Shoppers know that when they buy a product or service featuring the guaranteed Irish logo they are supporting Irish companies and safeguarding Irish jobs. That makes it an important, powerful, device.

If it's supporting Irish jobs and is pertinent to Irish society then they comply ?

I doubt they can use the Guaranteed Irish Logo without permission from that brand. So in some way they have to comply to the terms and conditions. Though I personally don't let membership sway my purchases unless it's food items. As for media, if I was so concerned I'd buy Irish papers like The Herald !

Ken

ejmaztec

The only disadvantage of the DM not having an Irish site is that, with regard to the After Hours forum, it's difficult to quote a bigoted article that only appears in the Irish printed edition of the rag. It means that you have to actually by the edition so that you can quote it, which isn't on.

...and as for the Guaranteed Irish thing, the first odd item that caught my eye years ago, was a carton of Quinnsworth "Guaranteed Irish" fresh orange juice, and I've been searching for the location of the Irish orange-groves ever since.

drunkmonkey

Yea that's a pretty obivous one, guarantee Irish orange juice, ive never seen oranges grow here.

The Guaranteed Irish symbol is complete false marketing. Either a product is Irish or it's not.

ScouseMouse

You noticed as well?

I sell papers and take exception to them using that mark. A raised this question 2 months ago in the legal forum here and got a few answers but dropped it.

I think they have a bloody cheek. They are no more irish than santa claus.

After looking a bit closer, I dropped it as I think they may get away with it.

m.j.w

Tescos isnt irish and they can put that symbol on there own meat that was produced here. In this case the paper is the product and it is printed in ireland so they have every right to put it on

hardCopy

According to they're a folk band from Pittsburgh.

The Guaranteed Irish website doesn't give much detail about their qualification criteria:

Guaranteed Irish wrote:

Guaranteed Peace Of Mind
The Guaranteed Irish symbol makes shopping for Irish products and services a lot easier. Shoppers know that when they buy a product or service featuring the guaranteed Irish logo they are supporting Irish companies and safeguarding Irish jobs. That makes it an important, powerful, device.

From my own experience of working at a member company, qualification can be achieved through employing Irish staff, the product doesn't need to be made in Ireland, as long as there is a service provided in Ireland (delivery, installation etc.)

Elmidena

Anyone else remember during the swine flu that Denny was the only brand allowed to stay on the shelves because its meat wasn't Irish in spite of it being so associated with "home"....

I'm wondering when someone will have a gripe saying the GI symbol is racist or something.

Bazzy

But on the other side of the coin lets say i'm a carpenter and irish and I work alone

I drive a german van filled with diesel from the middle east the screws i use are made in uk my drills and saws are from china and the wood comes from america

Can I use the guaranteed irish logo !?!

slimjimmc

Bazzy wrote: »

But on the other side of the coin lets say i'm a carpenter and irish and I work alone

I drive a german van filled with diesel from the middle east the screws i use are made in uk my drills and saws are from china and the wood comes from america

Can I use the guaranteed irish logo !?!

But that van most likely was purchased from an Irish dealer and is maintained by an Irish mechanic. That fuel is supplied by an Irish station who is getting is from an Irish distributor who is paying taxes on his Irish registered lorry and wages to the driver. Same with the screws, and tools and wood. Even items you buy on the net get delivered by Irish based postal or courier service (you won't see a Chinese courier company asking the local shop for directions to your place).

So in theory,yes you could, but whether they'd allow it, I don't know.

Corsendonk

drunkmonkey wrote: »

As far as I know that guaranteed Irish isn't exactly true.

You could buy a chicken that was wrapped in guaranteed Irish packaging but the chicken itself might not be, it could have been prepared and packed here but the chicken itself could be from Mexico. It was a chef told me that, not sure if it's true.

The chicken has to undergo a substantial process in Ireland to be called Irish otherwise its still labelled as mexican. So lets say you buy brazilian chicken, you repack it in Ireland it still will have Brazil as the origin. But if you were to cut the breasts off and cover them in seasoning and breadcrumbs to become southern fried chicken it becomes a new product and changes to Irish.

Back to the Guaranteed Irish, that is actually a brand you pay for to use and not too cheap either! If I remember correctly 60% of the product has to be produced in Ireland by their rules.

Corsendonk

Sunshine! wrote: »

Anyone else remember during the swine flu that Denny was the only brand allowed to stay on the shelves because its meat wasn't Irish in spite of it being so associated with "home"....

I'm wondering when someone will have a gripe saying the GI symbol is racist or something.

Well during Dioxins scandal it was Galtee that was found to be not Irish.

Corsendonk

Found this from the Irish Times

Guaranteed Irish was a label set up by the State in the mid 1970s. However, it was prohibited by the EU from using it to promote Irish products in the early 1990s as to do so was seen as not being very European. The label passed into private ownership but nearly disappeared during the boom as shoppers did not seem to care whether they bought Irish or not. It has seen a resurgence in recent years and more than 1,000 products carry the stamp. A Guaranteed Irish product is not 100 per cent Irish and the label means that it has created employment in Ireland for over 50 per cent of the production and manufacture of a product.

The chairman of Love Irish Food, economist Jim Power, stoutly rejects any charges that the label may mislead people. “We said at the launch that obviously we don’t grow tea in this country but the whole manufacturing process is carried out here by Barry’s. We assess all the applicants very carefully and have turned down around 10 per cent of applicants.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/pricewatch/2010/1122/1224283825605.html

Healeagh

This is a copy from the "Guaranteed Irish" application form: "By signing this I declare that the products above are manufactured at our premises in Ireland or that the services above are
provided from our premises in Ireland and I declare that if granted the right to use the GI symbol, that we will be bound by,
in all aspects, the provisions of the terms & conditions of GI as set out and will pay the fees and charges when required to do so."

keithclancy

I think i'd prefer a Quality Irish mark than 'Guaranteed Irish' i.e. it should be up standard.

If anything this creates excellence rather than being able to sell any old tat and stick 'guaranteed irish' on it.

Remember the Quinnsworth Yellow pack stuff, that was Guaranteed Irish and some of it was absolute muck ?

I got for Quality over where it came from every time, Irish food for example is fantastic when compared to some of the European stuff. (Cheese and Beef in particular)

Where as most of the Bacon comes from the Netherlands, where they do pigs well.

End of the day, anything sold in the Republic Generates revenue in the form of VAT, retailers can hardly be expected to take a hit when customers want reasonably priced good quality food, they will only sell what the consumer will buy.

Ireland simply cannot compete on price in certain areas becuase they don't have enough of a customer base to mass produce it.

srsly78

It's rubbish.

In addition to the many other examples above: Look at the back of an xbox (or other game) and you might see "Made in Ireland". The packaging and CD were printed here, but the software wasn't made here (we have basically no game development industry).

keithclancy

srsly78 wrote: »

It's rubbish.

In addition to the many other examples above: Look at the back of an xbox (or other game) and you might see "Made in Ireland". The packaging and CD were printed here, but the software wasn't made here (we have basically no game development industry).

Theres actually a fairly big XBOX Development and Testing team at one of the EPDC Buildings at Microsoft in Dublin, some of the Testing is outsourced to the Likes of Lionbridge and Berlitz for the Software loclalised verisons.

starlit

Its Irish Made no? Made in Ireland. Produce from Ireland and made with Irish materials/ingredients.

Noffles

It should stay there really, helps me make easier choice on my purchases, as I avoind most of these products as they are either inferior or more expensive.