Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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908. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her proposals to establish an independent ombudsman office in respect of retail regulation, due to concerns over the unfair treatment of farmers and suppliers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22894/16]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I presume the Deputy’s question refers to the implementation of the grocery goods regulations which came into force on 30 April of this year.

There are no plans to establish a separate Ombudsman to implement the regulations.

As the Deputy is aware, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) was charged by the Oireachtas, under the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014, to be the independent body assigned responsibility for overseeing and enforcing these regulations. The CCPC has been given the powers to enforce the regulations and will build on the considerable enforcement and investigative powers that its two predecessors (the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency) have built up rather than start afresh with a new body. Contravention of the regulations will be an offence as will failure to comply with any contravention notice issued by the CCPC. That body also has the power to publicly list all undertakings that have contravened either the regulations or failed to comply with the contravention notices: this will inform consumers on which undertakings are not abiding by the regulations. It may also act on its own initiative or on the basis of information supplied to it.

However, it must be pointed out that in enforcing any regulations, the basic tenets of fair procedure and natural and constitutional justice must be upheld. Of course, if there are no suspect practices being carried out, there will be no issue for any contracting party to such relationships.