Four people accused of unlawful moneylending in a Clare town have agreed to an exclusion zone around their local post office on dole days.

A LENDING company has repossessed 30 homes since entering the Irish mortgage market in 2005, it emerged yesterday.

THE Law Society has rejected claims it was biased when it deemed that excessive fees were charged by a firm of Cork solicitors to two abuse victims for processing claims before the Residential Institutions Redress Board.

Three Dublin retailers have been convicted of pricing offences following prosecutions taken by the Director of Consumer Affairs and the National Consumer Agency.

Some cash-strapped parents are being hit with school book bills that can run to several hundred euros, according to Fianna Fáil’s Charlie O’Connor.

Rip-off Ireland has been warned that it faces the full wrath of the law if it tries to cash in on the Ryder Cup, Sports and Tourism Minister John O’Donoghue said today.

ANYBODY looking forward to a windfall from the maturing SSIA schemes should take warnings from the gardaí very seriously.

FIANNA FÁIL TD Martin Brady yesterday accused drinks giant Diageo, which owns Guinness, of greed over its plan to raise the cost of a pint by four cent on May 1.

Members of the public must not be ripped off by planned increases in the price of the pint, it was claimed today.

In its latest marketing drive, Ryanair has offered unhappy Aer Lingus passengers free flights.

Labour says it will create local consumer centres if it gets into government.

Aer Lingus is reportedly setting up a taskforce to improve its customer service after admitting that its current system for handling complaints is poor.

THE Government last night vowed to ensure fair play between shops after the Groceries Order ban on cut-price goods was abolished. Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin has replaced the order from today with new laws to encourage competition between shops.

The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment has signed the new Competition Act into law.

THE new Garda Ombudsman Commission will have the staffing and budget to match the Police Ombudsman in the North, according to Justice Minister Michael McDowell.

The Director of Consumer Affairs has advised consumers to keep an eye on prices when shopping for Valentine's Day cards.

PRICES of greeting cards were not displayed in a quarter of stores in the run-up to St Valentine’s Day, a survey revealed.

A DOZEN firms of solicitors are facing a formal disciplinary inquiry over allegations that they overcharged clients who received awards from the Residential Institutions Redress Board.

DUNNES Stores has made a substantial donation to a good cause after admitting 10 counts of failing to display prices of grocery items at three of its Dublin stores.

AN elderly woman fighting cancer had almost €1,000 stolen from her credit card by cruel fraudsters who lured her with the promise of a free holiday.

Golf fans flocking to Ireland for next year’s Ryder Cup must not be ripped off by pubs, restaurants and hotels, Minister for Sports John O'Donoghue warned today.

The average price for a litre of petrol in Ireland has risen by 12.3 cent in the past year, according to a new survey.

Minister for the Environment Dick Roche has backed calls by the Consumers Association for a boycott of retailers who raised prices following the introduction of new recycling arrangements for electrical goods.

Petrol stations that are fined for charging a higher price for fuel than is displayed deserve everything they get, a consumer chief said today.

The Director of Consumer Affairs has warned motorists to be on the lookout for service stations that charge more for fuel than their advertised prices.

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.

A Fianna Fáil TD has called on the communications regulator ComReg to put rules in place governing ringtone providers and other premium-rate phone services.

Tourism Minister John O’Donoghue has said he would like to see the courts imposing heftier sanctions on retailers who breach consumer protection regulations.

DIRECTOR of Consumer Affairs Carmel Foley yesterday welcomed the first prosecution of a pub for not displaying the price of certain drinks under a new law that allows traders to be fined up to €3,000 for this offence.

PARENTS are being warned about ‘dangerous’ new micro-motorbikes that have claimed the lives of two children in Northern Ireland, as a consumer watchdog fears they are being aimed at children here.

The Director of Consumer Affairs has issued a warning about rogue holiday operators attempting to defraud Irish people over the telephone.

UP to €100 million will be saved on Government medical costs annually following a decision to allow pharmacists prescribe cheaper over-the-counter drugs to medical card holders.

Two Dublin pubs were fined in Dublin District Court today for breaches of the Retail Price (Beverages in Licensed Premises) Display Order, 1999.

THE Government has been accused of showing contempt for Irish consumers over its implementation of EU regulations on compensation to air travellers.

THE Director of Consumer Affairs has criticised the Government for its “lack of consultation” in deciding her office will have responsibility for handling compensation claims by travellers against airlines from next month.

The Government has reportedly dropped its plans to make doctors and dentists publicly display their prices.

PUBLICANS who are blatantly in breach of price display laws will be prosecuted in the New Year, the Director of Consumer Affairs has pledged.

Consumers were today warned to be vigilant about being charged higher prices for drink at Christmas parties and functions.

PUBLICANS have been warned that they face prosecution for failing to display their prices after the Director of Consumer Affairs expressed disappointment that some are still not complying with the law.

MOTORISTS can save up to €300 a year on average by shopping around for petrol, according to the results of a major survey on fuel prices.

Dublin's ISEQ fell 24.33 points to 5384.91 in a bad day for financials and the pharmaceutical sector today.

Nature’s Way pleaded guilty at Kilkenny District Court today to eight breaches of the Product Prices Regulations 2002 and was fined €6,000.

The Bank of Ireland has agreed to refund more than €1.8m to customers who were charged fees against the orders of the Director of Consumer Affairs.

THE country’s high street banks are this week facing a triple whammy of further embarrassing revelations over shoddy and cavalier practices.