I WAS disgusted to learn that Deputy Donie Cassidy intends to recall the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise and Small Business, of which he is chairman, to investigate alleged inaccuracies in Eddie Hobbs’ TV programme, Rip Off Republic.

HOUSEHOLDERS are being forced to pay almost €500 a year more for groceries because legislation is preventing competition in the sector, the Competition Authority (CA) has said.

Reform of the insurance market is teetering on the brink of collapse, it was claimed today.

EMPLOYERS’ body IBEC has disputed claims by leading insurance firms that insurance costs for businesses have dropped significantly over the past two years.

SALES in SuperValu franchise stores increased by 4.7% in 2004 to hit €1.75 billion, with €1.43bn of retail items manufactured in Ireland.

A BAN on supermarkets undercutting the prices of smaller shops should be abolished to bring more competition into the market, it was claimed yesterday.

The Irish Hotels Federation today welcomed the insurance recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise and Small Business.

The Irish Brokers Association has welcomed the report on insurance reform by the oint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise and Small Business.

INSURANCE brokers have launched a scathing attack on an interim report by the Competition Authority into their profession which they branded “inaccurate and misleading”.

The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) said today that its members pay insurance premiums that are "at best 50% higher than those in Britain and four times that of the Netherlands."

The Chambers of Commerce of Ireland (CCI) has challenged the Government to show tangible success in its efforts towards developing the Border, Midlands and Western (BMW) region.

The Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) has welcomed the publication today of the Civil Liability and Courts Bill 2004 by Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell.

DEAR Minister Harney,

EXPENSES submitted by solicitors on behalf of clients making compensation claims can be more than double those of the defence, an Oireachtas committee heard yesterday.

ISME, the business lobby group, has said it welcomed the interim report by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise and Small Business into reform of the Insurance market.

INSURANCE for hotels and guesthouses has increased by an average of 351% since 2000, forcing some owners to risk their entire livelihoods by operating without insurance, the Irish Hotels Federation revealed yesterday.