I will make a few concluding remarks. I too would like to acknowledge Councillor Dolan in the Gallery. At its heart, this Bill is about the need for fair and open competition for our businesses, economy and society. We know the vast majority of businesses do not engage in uncompetitive practices, but there are some which do. These practices drive out competition, drive up costs for ordinary citizens and undermine the dynamic nature of our economy. That is why I prioritised this Bill as soon as I took office and was…

No.

I thank the Deputies for their contributions. The agenda for this week's meeting of the European Council is being discussed by EU affairs ministers at the General Affairs Council meeting today, at which the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, is representing Ireland. Hence, the reason I am in the Chamber. The June European Council will return to economic issues. As the House will be acutely aware, the international economic outlook is serious. The uneven receding of the pandemic around the world has seen the emergence…

I am pleased to have the opportunity to introduce this Bill to Seanad Éireann. It is of vital importance. It strengthens the powers of our competition authorities to effectively enforce competition law, creating a fairer environment for Irish businesses and consumers. The Bill has passed through the Dáil and it was great to witness the cross-party support that exists for its provisions. I think it is accepted by most Members of this House that the transformation of this country’s economy from an inward-looking and …

I thank the Senators for their overall support for the Bill and for their consideration and comments. Similar points were raised by Senators Malcolm Byrne and Ward. I agree with their support for fair trade. It is not just good for business; it is very good for consumers as well. It is not just about supporting business but ensuring that consumers have choice. Where we have better trade and better competition, we will have greater choice and cheaper products and services for consumers. The point about consolidated …

I thank the Labour Party for putting this important Bill before the House and giving us an opportunity to discuss it. The Government will not oppose the Bill. I will not get political like the previous speaker and take the opportunity to remind his party of its record in government between 2011 and 2016.

We remember the pledges it made in 2011. The Deputy and the Labour Party leader have rightly acknowledged that there is a commitment in the programme for Government to progress to a living wage in the lifetime of this Government. This Bill is broadly in line with that objective. The Government agrees with the principle underpinning the Bill that an annual living wage paid to a single adult person living alone and in full-time employment should afford that person a standard of living that meets the physical, psychol…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am delighted to bring before the House today the Consumer Rights Bill 2022. This Bill represents the biggest reform of consumer law in more than 40 years. It consolidates and updates existing legislation on the sale of goods and supply of services to ensure it is fit for the modern digital age. This Bill is the culmination of a significant amount of work in this area to implement recommendations by the sales law review group in 2011. A core focus of my work in th…

It is the small company administrative rescue process, SCARP.

I thank all the Deputies who contributed to the debate. I thank them for the points raised. It is fair to say, and I acknowledge, that there has been very broad support for the general purpose of the Bill. The debate has been constructive. The Bill has at its heart the improvement of consumer protection. Its enactment will be good for consumers and responsible traders alike. I will take this opportunity to address some of the points raised during the debate. I will concentrate on the points relevant to the Bill. A …

I thank Senator Buttimer for raising this question and giving me the opportunity to discuss this topic with Members of the House on behalf of the Minister for Transport, who sends his regrets. I have been advised that Iarnród Éireann’s operational fleet is currently fully deployed on scheduled services, in line with prevailing passenger demand. The current capacity on the rail network is primarily based on demand levels pre Covid, when rapid growth in demand resulted in the utilisation of 100% of Iarnród Éireann’s …

The Senator is right to say that the Government recognises the importance of getting more people onto public transport. It is important for improving their quality of life and for the country meeting its obligation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030. We have committed to making the largest ever investment in public transport as part of the national development plan, which was launched in October 2021. I will report the Senator's points to the Minister. If we are serious about getting people to use pu…

I thank the Senator for his comprehensive introduction to the topic, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport. As advised by the Minister in February, the Government recognises that Shannon Heritage and its heritage sites are of significant importance not just to the mid-west region but also to Ireland's tourism offering and our historic, built heritage. Since the previous update, King John's Castle successfully transferred to Limerick City and County Council on 4 April 2022. I would like to acknow…

To reiterate, there is a commitment at Government level to protect the future of the Shannon Heritage sites. That is why there has been the establishment of the interdepartmental working group that can work through the issues that the Senator has so articulately raised. Unfortunately, I do not have a timeframe because it is not my area of responsibility. However, I will give the Senator a commitment that I will bring back the points that he has raised on the floor of the Seanad to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, a…

I thank Deputy O'Reilly for giving an opportunity to address these amendments. I intend to address both amendments together, because there is considerable overlap between them. I agree wholeheartedly with Deputy O'Reilly that it is important that the regulatory body is adequately resourced to coincide with any necessary legislative provision that gives it additional powers. As I stated previously, my Department and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC, recognise that significant additional resou…

I was not sure if I could speak before or after that but I thank the Ceann Comhairle.

I will not be too long. When I introduced the Bill to the Dáil earlier in February, I spoke about the imperative for fair and open competition for our businesses, our economy and our society. We know that the vast majority of businesses do not engage in uncompetitive practices but there are some who do. These practices drive out competition, drive up costs for ordinary citizens, and undermine the dynamic nature of our economy. This is why I prioritised this legislation as soon as I took office and was determined to…

I apologise to the House. Strangely enough, I was not able to arrange a pair so I had to go to vote in the Dáil. I thank Senator Ahearn for raising this important issue and for giving us the opportunity to discuss it. A proposal for a directive on corporate sustainability due diligence was published by the European Commission on 23 February 2022. The proposal aims to address the adverse environmental and human rights impacts arising from the operations of companies and those of their subsidiaries and value chains. …

I wish to reassure Senators that we, as a country and a Government, are very supportive of the objective of the proposed directive, which will promote responsible business conduct. I am aware that some stakeholders have expressed concerns about the perceived shortcomings of the proposal. I recently met representatives of the Irish Coalition for Business and Human Rights and I look forward to hearing the views of all those with an interest in this proposal. I believe that it is important that we do hear all views on…

Regional enterprise development and sustainable local job creation continues to be a key policy priority of mine and this Government. Throughout 2021, my Department has overseen the development of nine new regional enterprise plans to 2024, including for the south east, which covers County Carlow. A key feature and strength of the regional enterprise plans is that they are developed using a bottom-up approach, which is developed by regional stakeholders who are keenly aware of the growth opportunities and vulnerabi…