Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate and welcome Senator Naughton to the House and wish her well. This is an exciting day for her on a personal level. I join with those colleagues who have welcomed the fact that she is another young, west of Ireland woman in the House.

A proposal to be tabled by the European Commission on Wednesday would see a Europe-wide cap imposed on banking card fees of between 0.2% and 0.3% of a given transaction. This proposal has been welcomed by consumers and businesses alike, many of whom believe that fees can often be a barrier to trade. The proposal, which would update the payment services directive, is necessary following a judgment by the European Court of Justice that imposes limits on the fees that can be applied by Visa Europe. As such, the proposal is a practical review and will allow solutions to be reached. I am glad that Europe is once again proposing smart regulations that will make consumers' lives better.