Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The US and Canada introduced an expiry date. We found in our research that it helped to reduce greatly the value of gift vouchers that were unpresented and were just left idle. The percentage shrunk to low single digit figures, which is good. The transparency aspect with regard to the terms and conditions that will attach to a gift card or voucher is important. This point was made to me and it arose at my constituency clinics. We are all constituency public representatives so we come across all sorts of scenarios. Many gift vouchers are purchased for children and minors, be it for birthdays, communions, confirmations and the like, and they are the people who are feeling the brunt of it. They tend to stockpile them for particular reasons and then when they go and present the vouchers it is a huge disappointment to them that the face value of the gift card or voucher has been discounted because a period of time has elapsed. If a child presents a voucher for €100 and it is the practice of the organisation that has issued and sold that voucher to discount it by €10 every month or after six months, the fact that these types of practices are available is not obvious to the purchaser or indeed the recipient of the gift voucher. It is not fair.