Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)

I mentioned that at the outset. Mr. John Travers has been appointed to facilitate the setting up of the voluntary code of practice. There will be a provision in the forthcoming legislation on the amalgamation of the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency to bring that into statutory effect but we must have balanced legislation that is fair and reasonable to all sides, from the primary producer to the consumer. People will have varying views depending on their area of interest or the organisations or areas of industry they represent. However, if we could have a broad debate and come to consensus in the Houses of the Oireachtas it would send out a strong signal in the context of where we see competition fitting into ensuring people get a fair reward for their day's work while ensuring that there are no anti-competitive measures in the supply chain from the primary producer to the consumer that do not allow a fair price to be passed on if there is a price reduction in the particular industry.

I refer to an issue we have raised on numerous occasions. I have met the Competition Authority on several occasions, and I have commented in the Houses of the Oireachtas previously on anti-competitive practices, "hello" money or other forms of what we call the anecdotal suggestions. The difficulty we have is that no one has come forward yet to the Competition Authority willing to present evidence-----