Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

Competition law prohibits retailers from compelling suppliers to make payments for the advertising or display of grocery goods. Anyone who has evidence of traders engaging in such practices should bring this evidence to the attention of the Competition Authority in order that it can be fully investigated.

The renewed programme for Government contains a specific commitment to "implement a code of practice for doing business in the grocery goods sector to develop a fair trading relationship between retailers and their suppliers" and "to review progress of the code and if necessary to put in place a mandatory code". The Government will give effect to this commitment by including a specific provision in the legislation currently being prepared to merge the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority that will allow for the introduction of statutory codes of practice in areas such as the grocery goods sector. I expect to publish this legislation later this year.

In the interim period until the legislation is enacted, I intend to explore with all the relevant stakeholders the possibilities of agreeing a voluntary code that would respect the interests of all parties. A voluntary agreement offers stakeholders the opportunity to develop a code most suited to the dynamics of the grocery goods sector and which could form the basis of any subsequent statutory code.

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