Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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125. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if her attention has been drawn to certain commercial practices in the car rental industry which have been rejected by Governments in other states (details supplied); the steps she is taking to address them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19388/18]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As much of the car hire by consumers occurs outside their country of residence and as the main companies engaged in car hire operate on a trans-national basis, action to tackle anti-consumer practices in the car hire sector is most effectively undertaken on an EU-wide basis. In response to an increase in complaints from consumers about car rental, in 2015 the European Commission and national consumer authorities in EU Member States, including the Irish Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, engaged through a common position with the five leading car rental companies with a view to securing better compliance with EU consumer protection legislation. The five companies - Avis, Europcar, Enterprise, Hertz and Sixt - account for around two-thirds of all private car rentals in the EU. As a result of this engagement, the joint action was concluded in January 2017 following changes made by the companies to a number of their commercial practices, including some of the practices referred to in the details supplied by the Deputy. The companies undertook that car rental prices should include all unavoidable charges, that information on additional insurance should be clear, that consumers should always be given the option to get and return a car with a full tank and that procedures for inspection of vehicle damage and for handling of damage claims should be clear and fair. The European Commission and the national consumer authorities agreed that they would continue to monitor the car rental sector closely. I am aware that since the agreement with the main car rental companies there have been further complaints about practices in the sector in respect of matters such as overcharging for repairs. This underlines the need for continued monitoring of the sector by national consumer protection authorities and the European Commission.

I have referred the details provided by the Deputy to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission for consideration. Those details refer among other things to a charge by one car hire company for the use of a credit card for the purpose of a collision damage waiver. As the Deputy may be aware, surcharges by traders for the use by consumers of the most commonly used credit cards have been prohibited since January 2018 under the Regulations that give effect to Directive (EU) 2015/2366 on payment services. Any questions about this aspect of the issue should be referred to the Minister for Finance who has responsibility for legislation on payment services.