Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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185. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the expected timeline for the proposed food ombudsman; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17720/20]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government includes a commitment to the establishment of a new authority to be called the National Food Ombudsman to enforce the provisions of Directive (EU) No. 2019/633 Unfair Trading Practices (UTP Directive), which must be transposed into Irish law by 1 May 2021. Any proposed measures that extend beyond the minimum harmonisation requirements of the UTP Directive would require primary legislation.

My Department has been in consultation with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation in preparation for the transposition into national legislation of the Directive.The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), under the aegis of that Department is the enforcement authority for S.I. No. 35/2016 (Groceries Goods Undertakings Regulations, 2016).

The legal and operational matters associated with the transposition of the UTP Directive and the associated Programme for Government commitment are currently being assessed.