Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 205: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress made to date with regard to the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of the consumer strategy group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25413/05]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The consumer strategy group's report, Make Consumers Count, was published on 18 May of this year. The Government have already approved the report's core recommendation namely that a new statutory body, the National Consumer Agency, be established to advocate on behalf of consumers. Given that this will require primary legislation, a board has been appointed to the NCA to act in an interim capacity until the new agency is established on a statutory footing. The Deputy will be aware that since its appointment the interim board has been very active in terms of articulating the consumer's case on issues such as the groceries order, etc. In addition to being a forceful advocate on behalf of the consumer, the interim board as part of its terms of reference will have a key role in preparing the way for the fully operational agency itself.

The other significant recommendation in the consumer strategy group report related to the abolition of the groceries order. The Deputy will be aware that following the publication of the CSG report, my Department embarked upon a public consultation process in relation to the future of the order. A total of in excess of 550 submissions were received in the course of the consultation process. These submissions are currently being examined and I expect to bring proposals in relation to the future of the order to Government shortly.

In addition, to the above mentioned recommendations, I have accepted a number of the recommendations relating to my own Department, some of which have already been implemented. For example, the fines for breaching consumer protection laws have recently been significantly increased as recommended by the CSG, the fundamental review of the existing code of consumer protection law, as recommended by the CSG, is already underway and additional resources have been dedicated by my Department to this task.

The Consumer Strategy Group report contains more than 30 separate recommendations involving a variety of different of Departments and agencies whose activities directly impact upon the interests of consumers. The scope and breath of the recommendations required a co-ordinated response from Government. For that reason, a high level inter-departmental committee was established to prepare a detailed plan for the implementation of the recommendations. The report of the high level committee is expected to submitted to Government shortly.

I am confident that the Consumer Strategy Group's report offers the way forward in developing a robust and effective national consumer policy. Considerable progress has been made in implementing the CSG's report in the short time since its publication. I am anxious that progress continues to be made in this regard and I am confident that together with the interim board of the NCA progress will continue to be made to the benefit of consumers.