Seanad debates

Wednesday, 25 April 2012

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage

 

12:00 pm

Photo of Trevor Ó ClochartaighTrevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)

I gcomhthéacs an méid cainte atá déanta go dtí seo, is cosúil dom go bhfuil aontú i bprionsabal maidir le fíneáil sibhialta. Ba mhaith liom tuairim an Rialtais a fháil. Tá ard-mheas agam ar an Ard-Aighne as ucht an obair atá á dhéanamh aici. Tuigim go mb'fhéidir go bhfuil pointí dlí ag baint leis an gceist seo, ach ó thaobh phrionsabail fíneáil sibhialta de, an bhfuil an Rialtas ar son an choincheap go mbeadh fíneáil sibhialta ann? Má táimid in ann fíneáil sibhialta a ghearradh ar ghnáth shaoránaí na tíre seo muna n-íocann siad an ceadúnas teilifíse nó rud éigin eile mar sin, nach é ról an Rialtais seift, mechanism nó bealach éigin a fháil le go bhféidir fíneáil sibhialta a chur i bhfeidhim?

Just for the benefit of other Senators, I think there is broad agreement that the civil fines principle is the way to go on this Bill. That seems to be from where the Competition Authority was coming. I appreciate and respect the view of the Attorney General. Surely if we can impose civil fines upon citizens for other misdemeanours, would the Government not agree that in principle the civil fines route is a good route to go down? How can that be done? The issue seems to be that the present system, after 32 years, has only secured 32 convictions, with only two of those carrying any substantial result, one on price fixing in the fuel industry and the other on motor sales. Does the Minister of State agree with this principle and, if so, can we find a mechanism to introduce civil fines at a lower level that would not be unconstitutional? Would the Minister of State be willing to introduce an amendment on Report Stage that would reflect that?

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