Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)

It is important to highlight the facts. Many of the products, such as food, are not subject to VAT in the Republic. This argument does not always stand up to scrutiny.

We will continue to implement the consumer strategy report. Its main recommendation, the establishment of the National Consumer Agency, NCA, is driving other recommendations. For instance, the NCA will produce guidelines for retailers early in the new year. The Tánaiste has already indicated that in future the Competition Authority reports to Government will receive a published response from Government addressing its findings and recommendations within a set time limit.

The Commission on Energy Regulation has already introduced public hearings. Recently, it held its first open public forum on energy tariffs on 10 November during its consultative period for tariff reviews. This is welcome and we support this new method of consultation.

Inflation in Ireland is on a downward trend. The latest figures available for October show Irish inflation down to 4%, while our EU standardised HICP figure is only 2.7%, giving Ireland the fourth lowest inflation figure in the European Union. Irish figures for November, to be released tomorrow, should reflect early Eurostat estimates and demonstrate that this downward trend is continuing, with price pressures in Ireland beginning to level off.

On 1 December, after a consultation process that included the first ever open forum on energy prices, to which I already referred, the Commission on Energy Regulation announced it would not implement price increases for gas or electricity from January 2009.

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