More than 22,000 popular children's toys have been recalled from Irish shops due to concerns that they may contain high levels of lead in their paint.
Manufacturer Fisher-Price is recalling about 1.5 million Chinese-made toys, including Dora the Explorer products, around the world due to the safety fears.
Mattel statement
The recalled toys - which also include popular pre-school characters such as Elmo and Big Bird - were made by a contract manufacturer in China using a non-approved paint pigment containing lead.
A spokeswoman for Mattel UK confirmed that Irish shops had received 22,270 of the affected products.
She said the products had been on sale at one of the country's biggest toy retailers, Smyths, as well as at other outlets. None of the products were still on sale, the spokeswoman said.
Smyths could not be contacted for comment, although a representative of one Smyth's store in Dublin said she was not aware of any product recall.
The company said it is recalling roughly 967,000 plastic toys from the US market and about 533,000 from international markets. In all, more than 94,000 units of the problem toys have gone on sale in stores across Ireland and Britain.
Mattel UK said the toys were available from May 2007 to August 2007. "We will arrange for the return of the item and replacement toy of equivalent value. There have been no injuries regarding these products but the surface paint of toys concerned contain excessive levels of lead," it added.
The toy maker, which has opened an investigation to find out how the paint made its way onto the toys, said it is awaiting its verdict before deciding whether it will continue to do business with the contractor.
Lead paint has been linked to health problems in children, including learning disabilities and permanent brain damage.
The affected products are: Dora Say It Two Ways Assortment; Dora's Talking House; Dora Talking Vamonos Van; Dora Pals; Dora Let's Go Adventure; Dora's Talking House Deluxe; Dora Mini Playset; Diego Talking Field Journal; Diego Talking Rescue 4x4; Diego Talking Gadget Belt; Lazy Town Music Transporter; Go Diego Go Rescue Adventure; Lazy Town Music Transporter
Customers who have any of these products have been advised to stop using them and to contact the Fisher-Price UK helpline on 0044 1628 500303 or email helplineuk@mattel.com.