asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy (a) the membership, (b) the number of full-time staff and (c) the budget of the National Consumer Advisory Council.
Written Answers. - National Consumer Advisory Council.
445.
The National Consumer Advisory Council have a total membership of 15. Four members, including the chairman, are ministerial nominees. The present members of the council are:
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Miss Mor Murnaghan, |
Chairman (Ministerial nominee). |
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Mr. W.A. Lynch |
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Mr. T. Heery |
Irish Congress of Trade Unions. |
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Mr. M. G. Sheehy, |
Confederation of Irish Industry. |
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Mrs. Moira Guiney |
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Mrs. Betty Morrissey |
Irish Housewives' Association. |
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Mrs. Peg McAuliffe, |
Irish Countrywomen's Association. |
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Mr. Niall Quinn |
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Mrs. Margaret Gorman |
Consumers' Association of Ireland. |
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Mr. John Maguire |
Weights and Measures Office, Department of Industry, Commerce and Energy (Ministerial nominee). |
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Mr. J.J. O'Reilly |
RGDATA |
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Mr. J. Hannon, |
Federation of Trade Association. |
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Mrs. B. Fahy, |
Irish farmers' Association. |
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Mr. Mervyn Taylor, |
Solicitor (Ministerial nominee). |
There is at present one vacancy on the council due to the resignation some months ago of one member.
The council have two full-time staff members both of whom are on loan from my Department.
The council are financed by an allocation of funds from the Vote for my Department. This year the allocation amounts to £35,000.
446.
asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy with regard to the National Consumer Advisory Council, (a) the number of meetings held in the past two years, (b) the number, and nature, of recommendations made to the Minister during this time, (c) the number of representations made to manufacturers and traders regarding the voluntary adoption of measures in the consumers' interests, (d) the specific measures taken in this period to promote consumer education, (e) the specific measures taken to establish consumer representations on appropriate bodies and (f) the number of reviews undertaken of consumer organisations to avoid duplication between their activities.
It is a matter for the National Consumer Advisory Council to regulate their own procedures including the frequency of and agenda for their meetings. I understand that in the past two years the council have had a total of 13 meetings. In that period, the council made recommendations to me on seven separate issues of consumer interest. In addition, at the request of my Department, they considered and commented upon specific matters such as draft Bills, and proposals for directives by the European Commission. I have already indicated in reply to a question by the Deputy on 13 November 1979 that it is a matter for my discretion to make public any particular recommendation made to me by the council. I do not consider it appropriate that I should give details of the recommendations made to me except in so far as subsequent action develops from such recommendations.
As to representations to manufacturers and traders of the kind indicated at (c) of the question, the council are free to make any such representations they consider appropriate. It is not necessary for them to advise me of such representations.
The matters at (d), (e) and (f) do not now from part of the terms of reference of the council. The members were advised to this effect on 2 April 1976.