Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The background to this was a concern in regard to the powerful retailers in the grocery sector who were using terms and conditions in contract terms. Those contract terms were subject to abrupt change. Sometimes there was no contract at all and sometimes the obligations to fund special promotions were being placed on suppliers. We had a long consultation period between the different parties, including farmers, suppliers and grocery interests, to try to work out whether a voluntary code could be agreed, based on grocery goods as originally defined. This was not possible.

We then had to move to decide to have a regulatory system which would be overseen through the Competition Authority. This is not a new provision that will be applied in every part of the economy. This recognises a particular problem which has been the subject of two Oireachtas committee reports, one from the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the other from the Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Therefore, the provision is a response to a particular problem. The Deputy's amendment, on the other hand, brings in everything, the kitchen sink included. I believe it is unnecessary to do as the Deputy proposes. It would open this up to an area of retailers who have not been consulted and where there has been no regulatory impact assessment in regard to them. It would, therefore, be disproportionate.