Fergus Finlay: Children (and their parents) are being set up to be ripped off

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission must examine the marketing practices used to sell 'must-have' products to children

Sky and the FAI recently announced the extension of their women's team partnership, along with a new partnership, making Sky the new primary partner of the men's national team. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Is there any public policy in Ireland that stops kids being ripped off? An independent agency, maybe, with the authority to prevent price gouging? Well there is, sort of. It’s well staffed and well paid, but if it has any teeth, I’ve never seen them. I’ve never even seen the evidence that it cares that much, especially about kids.

It’s called the CCPC — the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. It describes itself as having a very broad mandate and limited resources. Therefore, it says, it must prioritise the actions it takes. And it has developed what it calls “four high-level prioritisation principles”. They are: the level of economic and/or physical harm; the likely impact of the CCPC’s action; the strategic significance; and the risks, resources, and costs associated with their actions.