Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I appreciate the need for progressing legislation in this area. I thank the speakers who have contributed. We are all at one in terms of its importance and we all share the same objective here. There is a significant recognition of that, particularly on planned obsolesce which all the Deputies have identified, and it is something we need to address. Developments at EU level are already addressing these issues and as such, I have to oppose the Bill at this time to avoid duplication of work and any potential issues that might arise from that. Members' contributions certainly inform the debate and can form part of the transposition of the EU directive at a later stage. The EU directive on common rules promoting repairs of goods came into force on 31 July 2024 and is due to be transposed into Irish law by 31 July 2026. That is really only 12 months away.

The directive aimed to encourage the repair of consumer goods and to ensure manufacturers provide timely and cost-effective repair services. The rules aim to strengthen the EU repair market and reduce repair costs for consumers. The proposal is part of a broader set of measures to support the Commission's goal on climate neutrality in the EU by 2050. It sends a very strong signal to manufacturers that the encumbrance will be on them on at a later stage and the marketplace will change. There is a recognition there is a lead-in period for the transposition but when that itself becomes law, I hope it will make clear to manufacturers that the approach to date is not appropriate and needs to change. Clearly, the rules coming into place will have the capacity to enforce that culture change.

The directive has benefits for both consumers and businesses. Consumers can obtain repairs of appliances outside the liability period and will have the choice of checking the price of repair between the manufacturer and an independent repairer. They will maintain the right to choose between a repair or a replacement. The directive will also encourage the repair industry. As I said, it will allow small repairers the 3D printed parts and parts other than those sold by the manufacturer to repair goods. That takes away the incentive to continue the practice and the culture that has developed. Repairers will be able to see the price of a repair by the manufacturer to enable them to compete with this price.

It will allow repairers and those that purchase goods for repair or that sell refurbished goods to advertise their services on an EU website. This is comprehensive legislation at European level that will have an impact here. Many of the products that we talk about and recognise the problems with are sold across the European market in the Common Market area. Additionally, Article 10 of the directive states that where appropriate, the Commission shall adopt guidelines to support, in particular, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in complying with the requirements and obligations set out in the directive. This has the potential to provide greater opportunities for our SMEs to compete with the larger manufacturers.

The Private Members' Bill focuses on requiring suppliers and dealers to provide and display repairability information, a matter which is addressed in the right to repair directive. Manufacturers are required to inform consumers about indicative prices for typical repairs and provide information on spare parts and repair services on their website or in instruction manuals. In addition, the right to repair directive is broader in its application. It covers a larger number of products and requires manufacturers to comply with repair obligations. Harmonising regulations through the right to repair directive promotes consistency and reduces potential conflict by providing a single clear framework for all member states. As Ireland is required to transpose the directive into national law, the Private Members' Bill would create unnecessary duplication of effort and potential discrepancies with the EU framework.

More broadly, legislative initiatives in this area are best progressed at EU level, where possible, to ensure harmonisation, promote policy coherence and avoid the risk of fragmentation within the EU Single Market. The European Commission outlined in its competitiveness compass communication earlier this year that it will pursue a forceful approach to full harmonisation and enforcement.

Additionally, it is important that policy development is evidence-based and better regulation principles are adhered to by Government. This ensures that legislative proposals are proportionate, consistent and transparent, and includes the necessity for a regulatory impact analysis. For these reasons, I oppose the Private Members' Bill. Nevertheless, I compliment the work that has been done because, notwithstanding the reasoning I am outlining for the Government opposing it, I believe the work Deputy Daly has done will inform the debate to progress to legislation that will address all the issues he has outlined. I thank him for that.

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