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[Examiner Article]12-month delay for Consumer Agency

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  • 27-09-2005 11:08am
    #1
    damien
    Registered Users Posts: 4,290 ✭✭✭


    http://www.irishexaminer.com/pport/web/ireland/Full_Story/did-sgyxzUTxfmBmQsg0aewFBADppk.asp
    THE new get-tough National Consumer Agency may not be up and running for another 12 months, the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment confirmed yesterday.

    This means that the new agency will not have its extensive new powers to issue-on-the-spot fines and close down businesses that breach consumer laws until Autumn 2006.

    The legislation to put the interim board of the National Consumer Agency on a statutory basis will have to clear all five stages of the Houses of the Oireachtas before it gets these new powers, the Department spokeswoman said.

    "The approval for the draft heads of the new Bill have now been secured it is not possible to say exactly how long it will take to go through the Oireachtas, but it could be a year," she said.


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    #2
    vinnyfitz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 805 ✭✭✭vinnyfitz


    No surprise there.

    The real impact of the new, interim, agency will be in it's crusading rather than enforcing role. In fact I'd be surprised if the legislation goes through before the next election.

    Lots of shops ought be scared of the €3,000 fine for "forgetting" to post prices in the interim.

    Similarly, lots of service providers ought realise that consumer advocacy is on their tail now.


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