Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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That is a very fair point.

To summarise, this is a pro-consumer Bill, which is most important. We are currently at a crossroads. I read recently that by 2020, 80% of all clothes will be bought online. We have high streets and towns and villages everywhere that are crying out for footfall. I know we get the footfall at Christmas. As Senator Humphreys has said, if one goes into one's local store and buys a voucher, it is in the knowledge that an item will be purchased in that shop and not online. I am always preaching, as I have a retail background, to shop local, buy local and support local. It is so important. The first step in that direction is to regulate the whole gift voucher practice. As Deputy Niall Collins has pointed out, 65% of all gift vouchers in Ireland are not regulated. It is a free-for-all if we are to be honest. It is high time that we had regulation. I take the Senator's points, because I had the same conversation this morning with the secretariat, that we seem to be spending a lot of time going over similar Bills from Opposition parties and from Government. If we all pulled together, perhaps, we could get one of these Bills over the line, and the consumer would be the winner.

I thank Deputy Collins for coming in here today.