Consumer watchdog ‘will have teeth’

ENTERPRISE, Trade and Employment minister Micheál Martin has named the interim chairman of the National Consumer Agency.

The watchdog agency was set up last month to ensure consumers’ interests were being protected and its establishment was one of the key recommendations of the Consumer Strategy Group.

Irish Association of Investment Managers chief executive Ann Fitzgerald will be the interim chairman.

Carmel Foley, whose Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs is being subsumed into the National Consumer Agency, has also been appointed to the board. In a statement,

Mr Martin said: “I am determined that the new agency will act as a forceful advocate for the consumer and that it will have the necessary powers, functions and support to challenge vested interests and to ensure that the consumers’ voice is heard.”

One of the first tasks to be undertaken by the new board will be to prepare a submission on the possible scrapping of the Groceries Order, which prevents below-cost selling.

“The Government is committed to a public consultation process before deciding what action to take in regard to the order. “That process is already underway and interested parties have until July 31 next to submit their views,” Mr Martin added.

The other interim board members are: Competition Authority chairman John Fingleton; financial guru Eddie Hobbs; Chamber of Commerce of Ireland president Robin O’Sullivan; barrister Alex Schuster; Inez Bail of the National Adult Literacy Agency; businesswoman Deirdre McDonnell; UCC lecturer Dr Edward Shinnick; Stephen Costelloe of the Northern Ireland Consumer Council; Gillian Kelly and Marie Barry.