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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 28 Jun 1994

Vol. 444 No. 5

Written Answers. - Travel Company Regulations.

Nora Owen

Question:

108 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the regulations which exist in his Department with regard to travel companies and their obligations to clients guaranteeing the safety of accommodation overseas which is offered by such travel companies.

There are no regulations at present within my statutory functions governing the obligations of travel companies to clients regarding the safety of accommodation overseas which is offered by such travel companies.

Legislation to implement EC Council Directive (90/314/EEC) on package travel, package holidays and package tours is currently being drafted. I expect to introduce it into the House in the autumn session.

This Directive is a consumer protection measure which covers, inter alia:

—brochure content and standards for package holidays;

—obligations of package organisers and retailers in relation to packages;

—the extent of liability of the package organiser under the package contract; and

—the requirement to provide insolvency protection for the consumer in the event of a collapse.

Among the obligations which the Directive introduced for the package organiser is the provision to the consumer of the relevant details relating to the accommodation provided in the package viz type, location, category or degree of comfort, main features and its approval and tourist classification.

Also when the legislation has been implemented it will provide that the package organiser and/or the retailer shall be liable to the consumer for the proper performance of the obligations arising from the contract.

Such obligations will, of course, depend on the terms of the contract entered into in each individual case.

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