David Norris (Independent)

I welcome the Minister. I am glad I heard the last remarks of my distinguished colleague, Senator Wilson, which I endorse wholeheartedly. It grieves me that we have these chains, many of them from Britain, which have an aggressive policy of undercutting the competition. They have loss leading brands, they create hyper markets and they drain the life out of small towns and even out of the centre of cities. I am lucky there is still a corner shop in my neighbourhood but it is extremely rare. That devalues our community.

It is not directly related to competition but an allied issue is the question of below cost alcohol selling on a mass scale which is absolutely appalling and has led to casualties and death.

I heard most of the Minister's speech and I gather substantial amendments were made during the passage of the Bill through the Dáil in regard to private litigants and so on. I have been briefed by a group called the Irish Small Business Alliance. The title of its submission, a submission on the Government's abysmal failure to enforce Irish competition law 1991-2012, is a trifle undiplomatic. I am not an idolatrous follower of competition. I think there are circumstances in which it is absolutely disastrous. I do not think we should make a little tin god of it. Sometimes it is appropriate but it must be recognised that it is not always in the interests of the consumer. I remember speaking on the competition Bill when it was originally introduced by the then Minister, Mary Harney. What struck me was that there was free range for everybody else, but missing from the Bill was a suggestion there had to be a competition for the position of chairman. The position was not to be publicly advertised but I managed to get it amended to ensure the Competition Authority satisfied its own regulations.