Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 115: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has reviewed the recent EU mid-term publication report Can You Trust Air Ticket Selling Sites; his views on whether Ireland should have taken part in this EU wide investigation into online airline ticket selling practices; if he will initiate an investigation in conjunction with the National Consumer Agency and the Commission on Aviation Regulation into all of the new extra charges on airline passengers and, if necessary, introduce legislation specifically to protect air travellers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23322/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Consumer protection legislation falls within the remit of my colleague the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment.

I have been informed by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, that the Consumer Cooperation Network (CCN), whose membership is made up of the consumer enforcement bodies in the various member states, carried out its first joint market surveillance/enforcement exercise in the form of an internet inquiry (a "sweep") on air tickets selling websites in September 2007 under the coordination of the European Commission.

I have been advised that the National Consumer Agency (NCA) were unable to participate in the Commission sweep of the airline sector in late September as they had committed to another international sweep — an International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN) sweep, the very same week in relation to internet selling. In any case, many of the areas covered by the Sweep were already under examination by the NCA.

I understand that the NCA have pursued a number of issues with three Irish Airlines and while some improvement has been made, the response of the airlines are being assessed by the NCA.

In addition discussions on a new European Regulation, consolidating and updating existing legislation governing, inter-alia, the setting of fares and rates for air services in the Community are nearing finalisation. Since the market for air services was liberalised in the early 1990's carriers have been free to set their own fares. One of the key new elements likely to be introduced in the new Regulation is an obligation on carriers to make pricing information more transparent. It is expected that this Regulation will be adopted in the near future.