My Office has received correspondence from the Irish Travel Agents Association and a number of the Association's members regarding their concerns in relation to particular provisions of the Consumer Protection Bill, which recently completed its passage through the Dail.
The Association is concerned that the provisions in the Bill prohibiting traders from imposing additional charges on customers by reason of the customer choosing to make payment for goods or services by one specified method over another will severely impact on the business of the Association's members.
The provisions merely seek to prohibit differential pricing by traders based on method of payment. In this regard, the Deputy will be aware that the vast majority of traders do not impose surcharges for accepting payment by particular methods and do not differentiate in price as between payment methods.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, I am mindful of the concerns expressed by the Association and in this regard officials of my Department and my colleague Minister of State Killeen both recently met with the Association to discuss these concerns. I am more than happy to meet with the Association again to consider how the said provisions can be brought into effect in a manner which minimizes any adverse impact on its members.
I would re-emphasize that the sole aim in introducing these provisions is to protect consumers and I am confident that their impact will be in line with that aim.