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

I am not aware of any such representations but this debate has a very long history, dating back to previous Ministers and the appointment of John Travers. The lobbying on this issue was carried out by the Irish Farmers Association.

A level playing field is provided by the accountancy regulations, which apply everywhere in the European Union. There is not a different set of accountancy regulations for grocery goods, record players, wholesalers in lawnmowers and so on. It is not the case that certain accounting rules apply to some companies. Consumers are protected by consumer law and this requires price transparency, that is, prices must be displayed and advertised clearly so a person can make informed choices. Consumer law has never sought shops to disclose profit margins so I do not think this amendment is relevant to this legislation. It is not in the State's interests to selectively, and under pressure from certain groups, require specific companies to display accounts while not requiring the same of others. This would suggest the Government is inconsistent in its policies and foreign direct investment requires governments to be consistent and even-handed in how it applies rules relating to a company's obligations. We will not single out specific groups for special accountancy disclosure requirements and this is the correct path to take. I think if the Senators were in my seat they would argue the same.