Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are regulating for a concern that large retail outlets have excessive power which has resulted in a number of sharp practices with regard to suppliers, about which many of us have heard anecdotal stories. We are not trying to institute in this legislation new provisions for every sector; we are dealing with this particular sector. Under existing competition law there is capacity for the Competition Authority to investigate abuse by a dominant supplier in the marketplace. I am not trying to replace the general remit of competition law as it applies throughout most sectors. Most sectors have big and small players and the Competition Authority has the power to pursue any practices by dominant players which represent abuse of their dominance. This is the approach which should be taken if there are cases of such abuses in the distribution of newspapers and magazines. We are dealing with a specific issue in the grocery goods sector, on which a commitment was made in the programme for Government, where there is a fear because of very dominant retail players and small suppliers. There is concern about some activities, which are listed, such a lack of contracts and certain provisions which have not been properly applied. I am not seeking to usurp existing competition law which applies in every other sector. This legislation is targeted at a particular problem in the grocery sector. I am not willing to extend it to subsectors which have nothing to do with the primary target of the legislation.

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