Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

Against the background of people being intimidated and afraid to come forward and speak up for fear of losing whatever pitch they have, does the Minister of State accept that the remit of the Competition Authority, whose involvement I am led to believe was initiated by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Mary Coughlan, against a background of public anger of rising prices vis-á-vis shopping in the North, should have been much broader and should have included power to examine practices that pertain in the retail sector, including the supply chain and the behaviour of the multiples? Currently, three multiples are controlling 70% of the market. Does the Minister of State accept that ultimately everybody else will be wiped out resulting in increased prices, the consumer losing out and the loss of up to 100,000 jobs?

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