Shane McEntee (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 80: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on whether the level of fines for failure to properly display prices are adequate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23900/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Price display law is covered by Orders made under Section 19 of the Prices Acts 1958 to 1972 and under the European Communities (Requirements to Indicate Product Prices) Regulations 2002, Statutory Instrument No. 639 of 2002. The various Price Display Orders made under the Prices Acts 1958 to 1972 cover Drinks Display in Licensed Premises, Hairdressing Services, Petrol and Diesel and Restaurants. The European Communities (Requirements to Indicate Product Prices) Regulations 2002 requires retailers to display the selling and where appropriate the unit price (the price per litre or kilo) for all products covered by the scope of the Regulations.

The fine for a summary conviction under all of the above legislation is €3,000. I recently increased the maximum fine for a summary conviction under the Prices Acts 1958 to 1972 to this level under Part 7 of the Investment Funds, Companies and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2005 where I took the opportunity to increase the level of fines for a range of consumer law some of which had remained unchanged since the 1970s.

There is therefore a uniform maximum fine of €3,000 for summary convictions of price display law, both domestic and EU. However it is for a Court to decide the amount of any fine taking into account the facts of a specific case.

I am satisfied that the level of fines for offences involving price display infringements is satisfactory. However I am keeping the situation under review and in the legislation I propose introducing this year to establish the new National Consumer Agency and to transpose the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (Directive 2005/29/EC) I will explore the possibility of increasing the fine for a summary conviction for the consumer legislation to be covered by this legislation.

I would, however, point out that convictions under the legislation are not the only method of ensuring compliance. The Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs whose function it is to enforce consumer laws, regularly undertakes surveillance with a view to securing voluntary compliance on the part of traders.