Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I believe the slight confusion arises from the fact that this is the first Government amendment as amendment No. 1 is in my name. The Minister of State discussed amendment No. 2 and a consequential amendment, No. 16, which is a technical amendment.

I welcome amendment No. 2, which replaces many of the provisions of various Acts and strengthens the level of co-operation between the Ombudsman, the Financial Services Ombudsman Council, the Central Bank of Ireland and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. For some time, there has been confusion as to where responsibility for consumer protection lies. For example, protection in respect of car insurance lies with the Central Bank as opposed to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, although the Office of the Ombudsman also has a role in this area. The proposed measure strengthens co-operation between the various bodies in respect of information exchange. However, we must do much more in this area and provide for clear lines in respect of who is responsible for what as well as ensuring there is no passing of the buck. These provisions are a welcome step in ensuring recommendations can be made and information exchanged between the relevant bodies. I hope the bodies in question will do this vigorously for the benefit of consumers.

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