New Competition and Consumer Protection Commission will be a powerful watchdog and support SMEs in securing public tenders – Corcoran Kennedy

Fine Gael TD for Laois/Offaly and Chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, has today welcomed the establishment of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. The Commission announced today by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, will have increased powers and replaces the Competition Authority and National Consumer Agency.    

“As Chair of the Oireachtas Jobs Committee I welcome the establishment of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. I am particularly pleased that the Commission will be providing guidelines for small and medium sized businesses who want to engage in consortium bidding for public tender contracts. This will make valuable public contracts more accessible to SMEs in all areas of the country.

“This Government is committed to creating jobs and to ensuring that everyone feels the benefit of the economic recovery. A huge part of job creation is ensuring competition and central to ensuring value for money is fairness; the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has additional powers that its predecessors did not have and it will promote competition to secure value for consumers.

“The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission is a single powerful watchdog, with a wide range of consumer, competition and criminal law powers. Some of the increased powers provided for under the new legislation include prohibition notices, compliance notices, on-the-spot fines for incorrect or misleading price displays, and naming and shaming where the trader has failed to comply with consumer law.

“The Commission will also act against traders who give false or misleading information in marketing or advertising. The Commission will protect consumers who purchase goods or services online or over the phone as it will compel telephone and internet service providers to retain details for up to two years to ensure that the data is available for any possible investigations into competition offences.

“Over the past number of years people have really come to appreciate the value of money and consumers should always be treated in a fair and an appropriate way. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission will help to create open and competitive markets where consumers are protected and able to assert their rights when they need to.”