Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 13 October 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

General Scheme of the Consumer Rights Bill 2021: Discussion

Photo of Matt ShanahanMatt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman and the Department officials this morning. I will ask some questions which will touch on a couple of areas. First, I ask about phone scam marketing and I am thinking particularly of those who target children on ready-to-go mobiles. I have had family experience of this where my daughter clicked on a promotion and basically ended signing up to a subscription service that came to a couple of hundred euros before we realised what was happening. It took a row with the phone provider to sort it out. My argument there was that they said that she had given consideration but I made the point that she was a juvenile and legally, as such, she should not have been bound by a contract. That is one issue.

Our witnesses’ opening statement said that the member states are able to add further restrictions to the proposed legislation. Has the Department any particular recommendations for Government around the legislation?

Finally, are the Department officials aware of any further resourcing that will be given to the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau, and in particular to the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau, to prevent fraud and cybercrime but also this increased amount of scam marketing that is going on where many people are being approached? How are we going to cut this out and how will this legislation provide for that?

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