Minister Bruton announces call for proposals for consumer support funding

The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, today (Friday) announced a call for proposals for grant funding relating to consumer support.

The Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation will operate the fund this year with an amount of €45,000 to provide once-off grants for consumer protection projects. This could involve, for example:
· research
· surveys
· consumer awareness campaigns
· other means of publicising consumer rights protections that consumers may not be aware of

Making the announcement today, Minister Bruton said: “I am pleased to announce this call for grant funding for consumer support projects. I have long been of the view that the cause of consumer protection in Ireland benefits from the existence of strong non-Governmental organisations in this area – as is good practice in many other countries. This fund is aimed at non-Government consumer organisations who wish to run awareness campaigns, surveys, research, or other means of publicising to consumers the rights and protections that are open to consumers.

“I would encourage any individual or organisations that are of the view that they have a suitable project that would benefit consumers to submit an application”.

NOTES TO EDITORS

The objective of the consumer support funding is to identify facets of the consumer profile in Ireland which would benefit from specific attention and to provide for initiatives which will contribute to increased consumer protection, enhanced consumer welfare, enhanced consumer empowerment or greater information and awareness about the choices consumers make. This could entail, for example, conducting research, surveys, consumer awareness campaigns or publicising instances where relevant consumer protections and enforcement provisions have prevented consumer detriment, increased consumer empowerment etc.

Information relating to the grant fund and an Application Form may be downloaded on the Department’s website at http://www.djei.ie/commerce/consumer/issues.htm or you may contact the Competition and Consumer Policy Section by email at [email protected]/* */ or you may call 01-6312612 or 01-6312618.

Application forms must be returned by email to [email protected]/* */ by close of business Friday, 2nd May 2014.