Donie Cassidy (Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

I have respected the Deputy from Kildare for many years, but as Chairman of the Committee on Enterprise and Small Business, I welcome the Bill before the House. Any fair-minded person would have to recognise that for the fulfilment of its aims the Consumer Protection Bill 2007 provides for the establishment on a statutory basis of the National Consumer Agency, the transposition into national law of the directive dealing with unfair commercial practices, and the rationalisation and updating of the existing body of consumer law. It also updates and signally strengthens the law on pyramid selling.

I am very pleased and proud of our work on the Committee on Enterprise and Small Business to improve the consumer's lot. I do not care for which political party Members were elected to the House, but we all agreed that it was the second-greatest challenge following the election, and I was delighted that the Taoiseach accorded me the opportunity and honour of chairing the insurance inquiry. That covered public liability, employers' liability, private motor and commercial motor insurance.

At the time, insurance costs had gone through the roof and the consumer was paying excessively. However, the Committee on Enterprise and Small Business provided a conduit for liaising with the industry itself, with 19 submissions given live on camera. The committee, led by me, went to the Government and persuaded the Taoiseach to make a commitment. At our parliamentary party meeting in Sligo the following year, he said that the Government would make insurance its primary legislative issue for 2004.

The Bill setting up the Personal Injuries Assessment Board has been enacted and the board established. The Civil Liability and Courts Act 2004 and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 have been enacted. Penalty points, random breath-testing and all those other safety measures on which we made proposals are now also part of the law. The consumer has been the big winner. No matter what the insurance policy, premia today have fallen to 1988 prices, allowing for inflation. That is a marvellous achievement for a committee with members of all political persuasions coming together under the chairmanship of this Government appointee. We made our presence felt in addressing the difficulties in an industry that affects individuals and small businesses stretched to the limit by insurance costs. I do not wish to belabour the point but I welcome anything that will strengthen consumer demands.

I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ahern, who has been forthcoming in assisting me as Chairman of the committee over the past four and a half years. In fairness to the former Tánaiste, Deputy Harney, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, and the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, I must put on record the truth of what happened over the last four and a half years. I will give Deputy Durkan credit for one thing — I have been a Member of the Oireachtas for 25 years and both he and his party colleagues have been exemplary in Opposition.

See this speech in context