asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism when it is intended to implement the recommendations of the second report of the Joint Committee on Small Businesses—Retail and Distribution.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Report of Joint Committee on Small Businesses.
16.
It will be appreciated that the recommendations in the committee's second report related to a wide area involving the responsibilities of a number of Ministers. The position regarding recommendations of relevance to my Department was indicated by the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, during the debate on the report in Seanad Éireann on 2 May and will also be dealt with in some detail when the report is discussed in this House.
While I could not accept a number of the recommendations, action is proceeding in relation to a number of others, for example, those relating to progressive decontrol of prices and the need for some rationalisation of the arrangements regarding the various inspectorates.
Would the Minister give an indication of the area of the recommendations he favours which would not require legislation but could be done by ministerial order?
I have given a general indication of the areas. I mentioned rationalisation of arrangements regarding inspectorates and the progressive decontrol of prices, but in view of the fact that there has been a debate on this matter in the Seanad and that there will be a debate in the Dáil, I do not think it would be appropriate for me to go into individual recommendations. There are a large number of recommendations in this report — 21 — and I do not think we could discuss them at Question Time.
I appreciate that we cannot discuss all the recommendations at Question Time, but some weeks ago I asked for Government time to be made available to discuss this very important matter and no indication was given of an early opportunity to do so. That is why I put down this question. Would the Minister tell me what it is proposed to outlaw by legislation below cost selling?
That recommendation is in the report and I have already said I do not think it appropriate to deal with individual recommendations at Question Time. It would be more appropriate to deal with this matter in the debate. If I give an answer on one recommendation I might as well give answers on all 21.
That does not dispose of the question——
We are not discussing the report.
I asked if the Minister intends to implement any of the recommendations and he gave a vague response that the report would be discussed some time in the Dáil. The reason I asked that specific question was that a few years ago a Cabinet colleague of his introduced a Private Member's Bill——
The Deputy may not make a statement.
I am asking the Minister if he remembers his Cabinet colleague, Deputy O'Toole, introducing a Private Member's Bill and subsequently two other Ministers——
The Deputy must find another occasion to deal with this. It is not in order now.
Why does the Deputy not ask about individual recommendations and I will answer them.
Is the Minister agreeable to proceed with the commitment given by three Cabinet colleagues that legislation would be introduced to outlaw below cost selling, or do we take it that there has been a change of heart and that there is a certain amount of disharmony——
This question deals with a report of the Joint Committee on Small Businesses and not something that happened previously.
One of the recommendations in that joint report says that legislation should be introduced to outlaw below cost selling. I am asking the Minister if he remembers when his Cabinet colleagues gave a commitment to this House over two years ago to introduce that legislation?
That supplementary does not arise out of this question.
Will the Minister tell the House if he will honour the commitment given by his three Cabinet colleagues on the question of below cost selling?
That disposes of ballotted questions. We now deal with questions nominated for priority and we have 15 minutes to deal with them. We will finish at 3.40 p.m.