Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Sílim gurb é seo an chéad uair dom labhairt leis agus é ina phost nua. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis as a cheapachán mar Aire Stáit. Go n-éirí go geal leis. Ba mhaith liom fosta fáilte a chur roimh mo chomrádaí óg ó Ógra Shinn Féin atá linn sa Ghailearaí.

The great disadvantage of being third to speak on a technical Bill such as this, one which we all support, is that I will inevitably repeat an awful lot of what has been said, but I will throw something else into the mix towards the end of my contribution. I am glad to see the Minister of State in that seat because I am hopeful he will be open to the proposal I will make and the amendments I intend to bring on Committee Stage.

The Bill transposes EU legislation into Irish law and, indeed, the State has missed the deadlines of July and November of last year given by the Commission for transposing the EU directives. I appreciate it has been a huge and complex piece of work and I acknowledge the hard work of officials in putting such a large Bill together. A major overhaul of consumer rights legislation in the State is long overdue, especially as consumers who buy goods in shops do not have the same rights as those who buy goods online. With the vast array of digital services available, legislation must keep up with the fast-paced and ever-changing online world.

The Bill seeks to be consumer friendly, which is most welcome. It will amend the law where there are unfair terms and contracts between consumers and traders, particularly for online consumers. If a person buys a product from a shop in town and discovers there is something wrong with it, it is much easier to return it and get a refund. However, when purchasing goods or digital services online, the terms and conditions very often make it a lot more casta, more difficult.

The Bill makes it clear that any form of redress must be free of charge and carried out as soon as possible. This is significant because the time it can take for consumers to get redress or a refund on something they have purchased online can be extremely frustrating. It usually ends up being so frustrating that at some point they give up and call it a day, and are left out of pocket as a result. I would say nearly every Member in this Chamber has had that kind of experience, where it is not worth any more of your time battling these companies because they are driving you mad. Therefore, this part of the Bill is most welcome. As has been said, it covers digital content and services such as streaming, downloads and cloud products. New digital rights will include the right to a full refund, exchange or repair when a good or service is not as described or not fit for purpose.

Part 3 on remedies in sales contracts sets down a short-term right to terminate sales contracts; a right to repair or replacement of goods; a right to a proportionate reduction in the price or final termination of sales contract; reimbursement within 14 days by the trader using the same means of payment and without the imposition of any fees; and a general right to withhold payment where the trader fails to deliver goods in conformity with the sales contract. All these new rights and improvements in consumer law will only be effective and useful if there is a way to monitor and enforce them. The Bill gives more power to the CCPC and with those additional powers more resources will be required, which I hope will be provided. It would be a shame for many of the good provisions in the Bill to go through but in the end not have any teeth.

Rud atá in easnamh go hiomlán sa Bhille ná cosaintí do thomhaltóirí ar mian leo feidhmiú trí Ghaeilge. It is time for the State to recognise that protecting consumer rights must also mean protecting the consumer rights of Irish speakers and Gaeltacht communities. De réir Bhunreacht na hÉireann is í an Ghaeilge an phríomhtheanga oifigiúil agus an teanga náisiúnta seo againne. Is minic áfach a mbíonn ar Ghaeilgeoirí dul i mbun agóide chun cead a lorg gníomhú trí mheán na Gaeilge. Ba mhór an náire é ag tús na bliana nuair a dhiúltaigh an Rialtas glacadh le cinneadh ón Ard Chúirt, aontaithe ag na cúirteanna Eorpacha, gur sháraigh sé cearta teanga phobal na Gaeilge trí Bhéarla amháin a shocrú do tháirgí tréidlia. Ag an am céanna, bhí an tAontas Eorpach ag tabhairt lán aitheantas don Ghaeilge mar theanga oifigiúil ar comhchéim le teangacha eile na hEorpa tar éis na mblianta feachtasaíocht, aitheantas nach bhfuil fiú tugtha go fóill don Ghaeilge san Oireachtas.

Tá sé léirithe ag an Tánaiste roimhe seo go bhfuil suim aige sa Ghaeilge. Mar Aire iompair, d'fhógair sé go raibh sé i bhfabhar an Ghaeilge a bheith ar chomhchéim ar chomharthaí tráchta agus is mór an trua nach raibh an deis aige an polasaí sin a chur i bhfeidhm. Níl ach cúpla mí fágtha aige sa ról ina bhfuil sé anois, mar Aire Fiontar, Trádála agus Fostaíochta, ach tríd an mBille seo d'fhéadfadh sé difear mór a dhéanamh do stádas na Gaeilge agus a léiriú nach béalghrá atá tugtha aige dár dteanga ach uaillmhian. Beidh an Tánaiste agus an tAire Stáit ar an eolas faoin bhfeachtas atá curtha ar bun ag fear darb ainm Cian Ward. Tá sé tar éis tacaíocht a fháil óna leithéidí de Chonradh na Gaeilge agus eagrais neamhpholaitiúil chomh maith le páirtithe trasna an Oireachtais - ní hamháin Sinn Féin, ach Teachtaí Dála agus Seanadóirí ón Fhianna Fáil, ar nós mo chomhghleacaí an Seanadóir Malcolm Byrne, na Glasaigh, fiú páirtí an Thánaiste féin Fine Gael agus Páirtí an Lucht Oibre fosta - cur leis an éileamh go gcuirfear pacáistiú dátheangach i bhfeidhm. An mheanma atá ag an bhfeachtas seo ná más féidir leo é a dhéanamh i gCeanada, cén fáth nach féidir linn é a dhéanamh anseo. Thug mé cuairt ar Cheanada ar na mallaibh agus chonaic mé – déarfainn go bhfuil sé feicthe ag an Aire Stát - cé chomh iomlán ina bhfuil an dátheangachas ar tháirgí in achan siopa, in achan gné den saol. Tá céatadán níos mó de dhaoine in Éirinn a deir go bhfuil Gaeilge acu ná mar a deir go bhfuil Fraincis acu i gCeanada de réir an daonáirimh - creid nó ná creid - ach bíonn Fraincis agus Béarla le chéile ar gach táirge sna siopaí i gCeanada. Tá níos mó Gaeilgeoirí in Éirinn ná atá daoine san Eastóin nó Laitvia ach cinntíonn an dá stát sin go bhfuil an teanga náisiúnta féin ar lipéid na siopaí.

Agus an Bille seo ag moladh rialacha nua a leagan ar phacáistiú agus lipéid chun a chinntiú go bhfuil an t-eolas a theastaíonn ó dhaoine feiceálach ar tháirgí, tá deis againn sa Seanad cinntiú go mbeidh eolas ann i nGaeilge, chomh maith le Béarla, sa dá theanga ar comhchéim ar nós gnáthstát dátheangach. Ní hamháin go mbeadh meas á léiriú sa deireadh thiar thall ar Ghaeilgeoirí agus ar phobail Ghaeltachta, gan an Béarla a bhrú orthu sa ghnáthshaol laethúil, ach cabhróidh athrú mar seo le páistí scoile agus daoine fásta ar mian leo an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim mar a bheadh sé thart timpeall orthu normalaithe lasmuigh den scoil ina ghnáthchuid den saol mórthimpeall agus den saol gnó.

Tá bealaí eile gur féidir linn a chinntiú sa Bhille go ndéanfaidh gnóthaí freastal ar dhaoine le Gaeilge. D'fhéadfaí an Bille a chinntiú go mbeadh comharthaí sna siopaí dátheangach amach anseo, nó go mbeadh lascaine nó margaí feiceálach i bhfuinneoga na sráide agus an Nollaig ag druidim linn. Agus an nuatheicneolaíocht níos lárnaí ná riamh i saol na dtomhaltóirí, ba chóir go mbeadh sé níos éasca ná riamh dóibh a gcuid gnó a dhéanamh trí Ghaeilge toisc nach mbeidh siad ag brath ar fhreastalaí cumas sa Ghaeilge a bheith acu ach ar mheaisín ar féidir an Ghaeilge a réamhshocrú mar rogha. Má théitear chuig ATM, mar shampla, beifear in ann airgead a fháil amach trí Bhéarla, tríd an bPolainnis, tríd an bhFraincis agus b'fhéidir trí Shínis ach is annamh a bhíonn rogha na Gaeilge ann, rogha atá á bhaint fiú ó sean ATMs de chuid Banc na hÉireann. Tá deis againn tríd an mBille seo rudaí a athrú go mór. Tá súil againn go dtapóidh an Tánaiste, sa phríomháit, agus an tAire Stáit an deis éisteachta a thabhairt dóibh siúd óna pháirtí féin agus ó gach páirtí atá ag lorg dul chun cinn ó thaobh cearta Gaeilge de, agus beidh Sinn Féin ag cur leasuithe ina leith sin.

Mar fhocal scoir, Sinn Féin supports and welcomes the Bill. My colleague Deputy O'Reilly put forward amendments on Committee Stage in the Dáil, a number of which were accepted. We will put forward our own amendments on Committee Stage in the Seanad. I hope the Minister of State will consider them, particularly those on the Irish language given his interest in and grá for an teanga.