Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I realise that the functioning of the market is very important, but if that functioning is having a damaging impact on society, it must be restrained. It is not appropriate for the Minister to pass the ball to the Department of Health on this issue. If that Department comes back and states below-cost selling of alcohol must be outlawed, which it might do, it will fall back on the Minister to implement it. He has a chance to send a statement from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation that we are doing something about this. The multiples are hardly quaking in their boots at the prospect of being investigated by the new authority, as poorly resourced as it is. They have a raft of lawyers and many ways of getting around the legislation. We, therefore, need to make sure the Bill is resource-proof in that context.

We have seen instances of where suppliers are being abused. There may be no written evidence, but we know it is happening in terms of the pressure being put on people, small suppliers in particular. The dominant sellers are putting suppliers in a situation where a dependency arises and becomes part of their business model. The supplier is obliged to provide product at certain prices, pay for shelf space and do all of the other stuff we know is going on. Dealing with below-cost selling in this legislation would send a signal that such practices would not be tolerated.