Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is making a point about trying to stop groups colluding and we are making the same one. We are trying to stop groups colluding. Newspapers are delivered by two wholesalers and because of their market dominance, they have a very powerful influence over the terms, conditions and price in the engagement with the plethora of newsagents around the country. As a result of the imbalance in power between the supplier and buyer, that type of collusion is more likely to happen under current circumstances. By levelling the relationship in allowing newsagents to come together in a representative organisation in order to negotiate with the two wholesalers, it would be more likely that we would not have the kind of experience we now have. The Minister's argument is the same as ours.