Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to speak on the Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014, which is before us at long last. I have listened to the Minister's speech. While there might be some interesting and helpful aspects in the Bill, his script spells out a number of items that are not included in the legislation, but which should be included. What we see in front of us is a weakening of people's consumer rights by the introduction of this Bill. It covers a number of areas that should be in the Bill that the Minister has concluded should not be in the Bill. The Minister stated that under the Bill the new competition and consumer protection commission's role will be strictly limited to examining the media merger from a competition angle only. The public interest test will be solely for the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte.

The new amalgamated competition and consumer protection commission will have no role in deciding in that aspect, unlike the current situation where the Competition Authority has to give an opinion on the matter. A new organisation is being set up, but the Minister is nobbling it at the ankles before he sets it up. The Competition Authority currently has power and authority, can act in the public interest and give an opinion on mergers in the media. This new Bill specifically takes power from the Competition Authority that it already has. People might not like the Competition Authority because it has this power, and they have got to this Government. They have said to this Government-----

See this speech in context