Sinn Féin has been asked to decommission its jewellery by Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea.
The Minister was replying to Charlie O'Connor (FF, Dublin South West) who said a Sinn Féin website was selling jewellery and other material bearing the title Óglaigh na hÉireann.
Mr O'Dea said it was a matter for the Garda authorities, in consultation with the law offices of the State, to determine if the use of the title in such circumstances was illegal.
"However, as no permission for the use of the name Óglaigh na hÉireann has been given, I would invite the leadership of the political party, whose name appears on this website, to ensure that this material is removed for sale on the site," he said.
The Defence Act provided that "it shall be lawful for the Government to raise, train, equip, arm and maintain Defence Forces to be called and known as Óglaigh na hÉireann, or in English, the Defence Forces". Accordingly, only the Defence Forces properly established were entitled to use the nomenclature Óglaigh na hÉireann.
No permission for use of the title on the items featured on the website had been sought from the Department of Defence, nor could such permission be given, he added.
