Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 58: To ask the Minister for Transport his views on draft EU legislation aimed at curbing misleading information on airline ticket prices; if he will conduct an investigation into the level of misleading advertising and selling of airline tickets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32523/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The legislation that the Deputy is referring to is a new Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules for the operation of air services in the European Community. The Regulation aims to consolidate and update the existing common rules which were adopted in the early 1990s and liberalised the air transport market in Europe. The most significant new elements introduced into the regulatory framework through the new Regulation are the provisions concerning the transparency of pricing information for air services and I fully supported the introduction of these provisions during discussions on the draft legislation in the Council.

Consumer protection issues falls within the remit of my colleague the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment and we have agreed in principle that the National Consumer Agency will be assigned responsibility for enforcing the new European rules on the transparency of pricing information for air services in the new Regulation. Legislation is currently being drawn up for this purpose and the NCA will have appropriate powers to effectively enforce these new rules.