Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)

I move amendment No. 4:

In page 6, between lines 30 and 31, to insert the following:

5.—Section 30(1)(c) of the Principal Act is amended by deleting all words after "to" and substituting the following:

"report and make recommendations to Government, Ministers of the Government and Ministers of State concerning the implications of competition in markets for goods and services and, if the Authority thinks fit to do so, it may request the Department of State to notify the Authority within a specified time of the Department of State's response to the recommendations.".

Since I was elected last February, it has become clear there often is a disconnect between agencies such as the Competition Authority and the State. It is very clear with regard to the Office of the Ombudsman in a number of areas that there is not seamless communication between such organisations and the Government. Information often is generated that is not acted upon or even considered by the Government. A lack of communication exists and it was shocking to learn that until recently, some level of communication between the Competition Authority and the Government took place through the media etc.

This is a modest amendment to an important legislative item. It proposes that the Government should give some type of response to, albeit not necessarily act upon, the advice of the Competition Authority. There should be some form of understanding of and communication regarding what is taking place within the Competition Authority. Moreover, the Government should explain why it is or is not carrying out a particular action with regard to anti-competitive practices. I refer to what will happen otherwise. Governments find it very easy to ignore anti-competitive practices. In particular, governments that are in cahoots or in close relationships with large businesses that are the centre of uncompetitive practices are better served if they can ignore the advice of the Competition Authority. I simply ask that this amendment be put in place in order that a communications relationship be formalised between the Competition Authority and the Government.

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