Consumer Rights Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages
Dail Éireann — 2022-06-29
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Alan Kelly (LAB), Tipperary

I move amendment No. 4:
In page 33, between lines 23 and 24, to insert the following:
“Rights in relation to diagnosis, maintenance and repair of electronic equipment
26. (1) 	In relation to digital electronic equipment sold in the State, a manufacturer shall make available, for the purposes of diagnosis, maintenance or repair of the equipment—
(a) to independent repair providers, and
(b) to owners of the equipment, in a timely manner and on fair and reasonable terms, relevant documents, parts and tools, including any updates to information or embedded software.
(2) Where a manufacturer has made an express warranty with respect to digital electronic equipment and the wholesale price of the equipment is €100 or more, the manufacturer shall provide such parts, tools, and documents as enable the repair of the equipment during the warranty period at an equitable price, with due regard to—
(a) the actual cost to the manufacturer of preparing and distributing the parts, tools or documents, exclusive of any research and development costs incurred,
(b) the ability of owners and independent repair providers to afford the parts, tools or documents, and
(c) the means by which the parts, tools or documents are distributed.
(3) In relation to equipment with an electronic security lock or other security-related function, the manufacturer shall make available to the owner and to independent repair providers, on fair and reasonable terms and through secure data release systems where appropriate, any special documents, tools or parts needed to disable the lock or function, and to reset it, for the purposes of diagnosis, maintenance or repair of the equipment.
(4) Both an owner and an independent repair provider may maintain an action against a manufacturer who contravenes subsection (1), (2) or (3) , and the court may order the manufacturer to take such action as may be necessary to observe the requirements of the subsection concerned, or to pay damages.
(5) 	(a) Nothing in this section requires a manufacturer to disclose a trade secret, save as and to the extent necessary to provide documents, parts and tools on fair and reasonable terms.
(b) Subject to paragraph (c) , nothing in this section alters the terms of any agreement between a manufacturer and an authorised repair provider.
(c) A provision of an agreement referred to in paragraph (b) , or any other agreement, is void insofar as it purports to waive, avoid, restrict or limit a manufacturer’s obligations under this section.
(6) In this section—
“authorised repair provider”, in relation to a manufacturer, means a person who is not a connected person and who has an agreement with the manufacturer—
(a) pursuant to a license to use a trade name, service mark or other proprietary identifier, to offer the services of diagnosis, maintenance or repair of digital electronic equipment under the name of the manufacturer, or
(b) otherwise to provide such services on behalf of the manufacturer, provided that a manufacturer who offers the services of diagnosis, maintenance or repair of digital electronic equipment manufactured by it or on its behalf, and who does not have an agreement with a connected person for the provision of such services, is an authorised repair provider with respect to that equipment;
“connected person” has the meaning assigned to it by section 10 of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997;
“digital electronic equipment”—
(a) subject to paragraph (b) , means any product that depends for its functioning, in whole or in part, on digital electronics embedded in or attached to the product,
(b) does not include—
(i) mechanically propelled vehicles designed and constructed to be suitable for use on roads, or
(ii) medical devices within the meaning of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013;
“document” includes any manual, diagram, reporting output, service code description, schematic, or other guidance or other information used in effecting the services of diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of digital electronic equipment;
“embedded software” means any programmable instructions provided on firmware delivered with digital electronic equipment, or with a part for such equipment, for the purposes of operating the equipment, including all relevant patches and fixes made by the manufacturer of such equipment or part for this purpose;
“firmware” means a software program or set of instructions programmed on digital electronic equipment, or on a part for such equipment, to allow the equipment or part to communicate within itself or with other computer hardware;
“independent repair provider”, means a person who—
(a) in relation to a manufacturer and any authorised repair provider of the manufacturer, is not a connected person, and
(b) is engaged in the diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of digital electronic equipment,
provided that a manufacturer or an authorised provider of a manufacturer is, when engaged in the diagnosis, service, maintenance or repair of digital equipment that is not manufactured by or sold under the name of the manufacturer, an independent repair provider;
“manufacturer” means a person engaged in the business of selling, leasing, or otherwise supplying new digital electronic equipment, or parts of such equipment, that has been made by or on behalf of the manufacturer;
“owner” means a person who owns or leases digital electronic equipment;
“part” means any replacement part, whether new or used, made available by a manufacturer for purposes of maintenance or repair of digital electronic equipment manufactured by or on behalf of, sold or otherwise supplied by the manufacturer;
“tools” includes any software program, hardware implement or other apparatus used for diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of digital electronic equipment, including software or other mechanisms that provision, program or pair a new part, calibrate functionality, or perform any other function required to bring the equipment back to fully functional condition.
(7) A reference in this section to making a document or thing available on fair and reasonable terms means making the document or thing available on terms that are equivalent to the most favourable terms under which a manufacturer makes the document or thing available to an authorised repair provider—
(a) regard being had to any discount, rebate, convenient means of delivery, means of enabling fully restored and updated functionality, rights of use, or other incentive or preference the manufacturer offers to an authorised repair provider, or any additional cost, burden, or impediment the manufacturer imposes on an independent repair provider, and
(b) not conditioned on or imposing a substantial obligation or restriction that is not reasonably necessary for enabling the owner or independent repair provider to engage in the diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of digital electronic equipment made by or on behalf of the manufacturer.”.
I am dealing with this amendment on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Sherlock. It is, however, a topic that I have spoken about before. This amendment aims to deal with the issue of how different electronic products and devices become obsolete and the right to repair. All of us in these Houses have these smartphones. We are lucky now if we get a couple of years out of them. It is quite ridiculous. I sometimes get jealous of my father’s Nokia brick, as they call it, because of the reliability. There is no upgrading required, there is nothing required in that regard.
This amendment is grounded in the idea that we will have to deal with this matter. In Ireland, we have often been innovative and ahead of the curve. Examples of this include the plastic bag levy, how we addressed the issue of smoking indoors and other things. This, however, is something that we must get ahead of the EU on. Looking at the regulations being brought in, and I sat on the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection when I was an MEP, and specifically regarding some of the changes in the context of technological necessities, those measures took several years to come through. Again, on this topic, it is also going to take a long time to address. Therefore, we should lead on this issue.
The idea that, basically, no matter what the device or technology, whether smartphones, tablets, Kindles, small household items or large household appliances, there is effectively only a lifespan of a few years is unacceptable. We must have a change in this mindset. It is not good for the environment. It is not good for our pockets. In many cases, this attitude has impacts concerning energy consumption. There are also other issues involved. Equally, there is also the aspect of the effects and costs for consumers. They are required to constantly upgrade, whether that involves purchasing new software, apps, additions, different components for household items, etc.
Therefore, we must be very radical in this regard. I have high hopes that the Minister of State will be radical. In that context, I hope he will accept this amendment, because it is a necessary one. We must have the right to repair these items and we must not be continuously bounced into ensuring that all these types of items, whether personal devices or household items, must be continuously upgraded, have constant changes made to them and that their lifespans will be dictated by those who manufacture them. I refer to people being constantly forced to change and upgrade devices and appliances. Somebody must shout “Stop” here.
I am not sure that I ever want to do any more with the device I have now. It has everything I need. Within one year, however, I will have to change this device. New applications or upgrades will ensure I have to do that because the manufacturer will dictate it. Therefore, I urge the Minister of State to take on board this amendment. I will be listening closely to what he is going to say regarding it. This is something the Labour Party feels strongly about and I hope the Minister of State will take this amendment on board.

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Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:50:54+00:00
Sitting date: 2022-06-29