Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I am pleased to hear some action is being taken to deal with this problem but it will require more than just pleading with the British retailers concerned and it will take more than meetings between the National Consumer Agency and Retail Ireland. The Government needs to show that, if necessary, it will flex its muscles on this issue. This has gone on for quite a while. The change in the relationship between the euro and sterling has been in play for some time and the value has not been passed on to the Irish consumer. With each passing day, consumers are continuing to be ripped off. I appreciate that attention is being given to the matter arising from the question I raised last Wednesday, but the full powers of the Consumer Protection Act need to be used by the Minister. There are powers in that Act which provide for regulations to be made by the Minister in regard to labelling which, I understand, would include price labelling. If necessary, additional regulatory and legislative measures should be introduced to force retailers to adopt practices that are not ripping off Irish consumers. I am glad that some attention is being given to this matter. I ask the Minister to look to the powers available to her under the Consumer Protection Act and to the possibility of strengthening those powers, if necessary.

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