Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)

I wish to share time with Deputy Hogan. I am delighted to have an opportunity to speak on this issue and to support this timely and important motion. This Government has failed the people with regard to prices. There is no greater concern for many people than the price they pay for their goods. The lack of competition in many areas has increased prices over a long time.

The oppressive cost of living in this country is a great cause of hardship for the majority of people. In one of the most highly developed countries in the world, there must be real choice for people. Insufficient resources have rendered the Competition Authority a lame duck and, as a result, since 1996 it has not secured one significant or meaningful conviction for breach of the Competition Acts. If the Government is serious about opening up the markets, resources must be put in place to make competition a reality. No organisation can function properly without proper resources.

There are many examples of the lack of competition and electricity is high on that list. Irish citizens are faced with a lack of choice in the electricity market. It is not a luxury commodity but a necessity. The cost of electricity has risen astronomically over the past three years in particular. This rise in electricity charges has an effect in every area of industry, agriculture and tourism. It has also affected the lives of older people and has put pressure on school authorities and boards of management. Anywhere we work or play needs a supply of electricity on a daily basis and there is no real competition in that market. This is an issue that has been neglected by the Government.

Another example of this Government allowing non-competitive practices is in the regulation of veterinary medicines. The Minister for Agriculture and Food stands idly by and watches as the Government prepares to bring in EU regulation which will give control to the vets of this country of the medical supplies needed in the agricultural sector. This area was competitive in the past but the Government and the Minister are now single-handedly putting in place a structure to take away the competition.

Until now there was plenty of competition between the veterinary medicine suppliers and the veterinaries, but the Minister is taking that away. Tourism is another example of where we have seen a significant rise in costs in recent years. As a result, Ireland has a bad name internationally and people see Ireland as a high cost tourist destination. This is bad for employment and for the country. All the investment in the tourism industry will go to waste simply because we have not applied competition and tried to control competition in the tourist market.

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