Consumer Protection Bill 2007 - Second Stage Debate - 6th February 2007

Consumer Protection Bill 2007 - Second Stage Debate - 6th February 2007
Mr. Norris: I welcome the legislation. I am not part of the partisan pre-election ping-pong. I congratulate the Minister on producing the legislation, although it is a bit like the Taoiseach’s slogan - some done, more to do. I have a strong feeling part of the motivation for this Bill is the fact we are required to implement an EU directive. The Minister is shaking his head but he referred to this EU directive several times and it is inescapable that it is part of the motivating factor.
The introduction of this Bill is welcome. The National Consumer Agency was set up some time ago but not on a statutory basis. There is much exaltation here such as forcefully advocating the consumer’s case. That is fine but it is a bit wishy-washy. It is stated that a commission will publish research. This Government is committed to committing, commissioning, researching and so on but there is far too much dithering.
Mr. Coghlan: The Senator is summing it up well.
Mr. Norris: I am glad this Bill does not remain in the land of dither in that it actually produces penalties. Some of the penalties are fairly significant but again we must rely on the courts to implement them. There is a case in the Minister’s constituency about which I cannot say too much because I do not believe the sentence has been passed. It concerns Ford dealerships and price rigging. That is very anti-consumer. There has been a conviction in the case but the sentence has not been passed.
The Minister referred to these quiz games, prizes or whatever. They are in every bloody newspaper nowadays. One scratches a card and wins a prize. These prizes are not worth a damn but they gull one into making a telephone call. People make money out of the enormous number of telephone calls made. Consumers are entitled go be protected against this because the language used is totally inflated. I have done research in this regard. I wasted my unfortunate secretary’s time, because I would not waste my own, getting her to dial up. It was very unfair of me. One is kept waiting and waiting. It is dreadful the way this is done. The prizes are a mirage.
People also receive letters congratulating them and, in tiny letters, they are told they are in a draw to win €500,000. The letter will contain a certificate, a gold key or sometimes one has to scratch a card, but one wins sweet damn all. These games are unfair.
Worse still is something the Minister mentioned, namely, these unscrupulous, heartless people who have quack remedies and who claim they are able to cure diseases such as multiple sclerosis and cancer. That really should be stamped out. I believe this is considered by legislation under the Department of Health and Children as well. There has been a good initiative in regard to the alleged qualifications of these people, their right to practice and so forth and it covers quacks.
Does the Minister believe a sufficient amount has been drawn into this Bill because the power is scattered around a number of different agencies and ministries, including, for example, ComReg, the telecommunications regulator? I will say a little about the telephone situation which is appalling. Eircom is an absolute disaster. I refer also to the financial regulator which has powers in this area. I am glad pyramid schemes are being addressed. They are also cruel because there is absolutely no way they can work without the majority of people engaged in them losing very heavily. Very often they operate in housing estates of the poorer levels of society. While some people will make money, a great number will be defrauded. They join the schemes because they are gulled into thinking they will make money.
Will this legislation address the question of moneylenders, which has never been addressed satisfactorily, as it ought to be. While scandalous rates of interest are being charged, people who go to moneylenders simply do not know this is the case. Allied to this is the credit card scam operated by the banks. While on the subject of banks, I wish to make two points. Everyone knows they are crooks who have been dipping their hands in our pockets. They are also liars who lied about the late Mr. Haughey, thus causing severe disruption to the career of a good journalist who wrote an article to the effect that AIB was owed £1 million by Mr. Haughey. The bank flatly denied this, which was an outrage. However, it got away with it.
The Minister should also examine the issue of equity releases. Elderly people, who are drawn into flogging off part of their interest in their houses, do not realise it could be highly disadvantageous to them. For example, such people must secure permission from the relevant bank to modify their houses to install something like a chair lift.
Members should also consider the manner in which such advertisements are couched. They portray individuals who had never envisaged they could spend their declining years on the island of Barbados, or similar tripe, and this is unfair. Moreover, Members should consider the manner in which advertisements for many financial institutions include warnings that they are subject to this, that and the other. However, it is all muttered quickly and one cannot hear it. How are the advertising authorities protecting the consumer?
I note my colleague, Senator O’Toole, has entered the Chamber. How much time remains?
Acting Chairman: Half the time, or seven minutes, remains.
Mr. Norris: May I speak for another minute? I have some other points to make.
As for rip-off Ireland, the Minister should accept he was wrong regarding the groceries order. He was misled and prices did not drop. The consumer was not-----
Mr. Martin: They did.
Mr. Norris: No, they did not. The consumer was not protected.
Mr. Martin: The Senator is wrong.
Mr. Norris: Members should consider people like me, who are unable to deal with computers properly. Given airline fare structures, one must be an Einstein to get a proper fare. Why not have some kind of standard fares from airlines that claim to operate scheduled flights? The seats are all flogged off to tour operators and one must scramble months in advance, or pay four times the price, to get a seat from an airline. The question of price fixing also arises.
While I should allow my colleague to make his contribution, my final point is that I wish the Minister well and I will not be partisan in this regard. However, my hopes are not high. Like the Skibbereen Eagle, Members are watching because the Government’s record in looking after consumers’ interests is poor. For example, Members should consider the e-voting issue. Mr. John McCarthy has stated he gave evidence to an Oireachtas committee some time before the Minister signed the order for the machines that are not worth a tuppenny damn. Members have now discovered that the Minister for Health and Children was warned about the BUPA situation, whereby any number of insurers will float in to get a free ride in respect of risk equalisation. The concept of caveat emptor applies to both the ordinary individual citizen as a consumer and to the Government, which represents the people on our behalf.