Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 18 proposes that the information be available on a notice on the wall of the airport shop. This provision echoes the approach to that taken to licensed premises in the Bill selling products that do not have a label. However, there is a significant difference. It is fair to say that we are all likely to spend more time in a restaurant or pub than in an airport shop. The time spent in a licensed premises means that the message on the notice has more time to attract our attention, once or several times, and perhaps even encourage discussions on its contents with those around us. There is no similarity between this and an airport, which for the majority of consumers is a place that we are passing through in a hurry with an eye on a flight time.

One of the strengths of this provision as it currently stands is that no unfair competition is created within the State. Every retailer in the State must sell products with the health information on them and they are not forced to compete with another retailer who does not have to have this information on its stock. It will undermine the fairness of the provisions if retailers in airports are allowed to sell products without that information on the product. Finally I do not wish to introduce any unnecessary complexity for suppliers that deal strictly with the domestic market. The provision as it stands requires that all products sold in the State must have health information. I see no reason to introduce a further requirement that suppliers will have to distinguish between products for airports and products for other retail outlets in the State. For these reasons I do not propose to accept these amendments. In light of this morning's debate, I am prepared to suggest that the Deputies can revisit this on Report Stage if that is of any help.