Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

What is the logic of the Competition Authority? The Competition Authority was a special creation of the Progressive Democrats. The Progressive Democrats are gone but the Competition Authority is not. Everybody wants governments to take strong action against powerful businesses which abuse their position of prominence and dominance to charge higher prices and give bad services to consumers. There are many such examples in this country, including the banks, insurance providers, cement suppliers, the construction industry and the owners and developers of lands for development. All of them have managed in recent decades to charge consumers significant prices for services provided, but in none of their cases has the Competition Authority sent them so much as a Christmas card. Instead, organisations such as the IPU, as well as the breeders of pedigree dogs, are raided by the Competition Authority. I am glad the Minister will review this outfit.

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