Vol. 566 No. 2
47 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the specific steps she intends to take to provide further protection for consumers in regard to her recent speech in which she said that outdated laws, restrictive practices and anti-competitive activities were shielding many sectors from market realities and that it was time to redress the balance in favour of consumers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12266/03]
The Government is committed to pursuing a programme of regulatory reform with particular emphasis on removing unwarranted constraints on competition in all sectors of the economy and placing the consumer at the top of the policy agenda.
Further to that commitment, action is currently under way across a wide front including reform of the regulation of pharmacies, review of liquor licensing and examination of restrictions operating within various professions as well as studies in banking and insurance. A high level group on regulation, under the aegis of the Department of the Taoiseach, on which my Department is represented, oversees implementation of the response to the 2001 OECD report on regulatory reform and advises the Government.
Question No. 48 answered with Question No. 17.
