Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

At the time of the last budget the Minister for Finance announced that a number of agencies would be merged, including the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority. As Christmas approaches, I am concerned that the mark-up on goods imported from England, with the translation from sterling, is enormous. For example, shoes which sell for €99 in chain-stores in Grafton Street, Dublin, cost £65 sterling in the UK. The traders are now removing the UK price tag so that people are unable to make the translation of the extraordinary profit taking on the backs of Irish consumers.

I understood the merger of the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency would help to achieve some policy on fair prices for Irish consumers and stop this rip-off which is driving up costs in Ireland. There are many Government task forces dealing with the economic situation. Can the Taoiseach take any action with regard to progressing this legislation to at least ensure sterling and euro price tags are both shown so that people can see when they are being robbed blind by these, for the most part, British-based chain-stores?

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