Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Collins. As members know, I have worked in retail all my life. I have sold an awful lot of vouchers in my day. This Bill is very timely. We are now facing into the busiest period for any retail, the period before Christmas. There is no doubt about it; consumers need to know when they purchase a voucher from a retailer, online or in person, what the value of the voucher is, the restrictions on its use and the expiry date. These must be stated upfront. As I have said, I have worked for a long time in the retail sector. Where I worked previously, in a family jewellery business, we sold a lot of vouchers.

There were no limits on the vouchers, which was very welcome to consumers. People sometimes receive a voucher as a present for a birthday or Christmas but, because they did not purchase it themselves, they are not aware of the terms and conditions. They might put it away or into their bag or wallet and might not pull it out for 12 or 18 months, when they discover the voucher has gone out of date. That means the person who paid €50, €75 or €100 for the voucher loses their money and the person who sold it is a beneficiary. As Deputy Collins said, there are differences in approach from various retailers, with different rules applying. They are not regulated at the moment but it is timely to regulate them now. A customer's voucher may be out of date by one day in one shop but, in another, a voucher might be valid for three or five years.

In the context of the issue of a money message, can the Deputy explain how an expense might arise? Is it for the enforcement of any regulation that we might bring in?