Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 November 2020
72. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the requests that he has made under section 10(4) of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014 to request the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to carry out a market study in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35117/20]
View answerSection 10 (4) of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014 enables me as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to request the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to carry out a study or analysis of:
- any issue relating to consumer protection and welfare,
- any practice or method of competition affecting the supply and distribution of goods or the provision of services, or
- any other matter relating to competition,
and to submit a report to me, as Minister, in relation to the study or analysis. The Commission complies with such a request within such period and in such form and manner as I may specify in the request.
I have made no requests to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) under section 10(4) of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014 to carry out a market study or analysis in the last 12 months, nor has any other Minister requested me to use my powers under section 10(4) to request the CCPC to carry out a study for them.
My predecessor, Minister Humphreys, made a request to the CCPC in August 2019 to carry out a study of the public liability insurance market in Ireland. This study was requested as the issue of increases in public liability premiums for businesses was raised with her as a potential systemic threat to the existence of many businesses as were concerns on the roles of insurance firms and intermediaries in the increased levels of public liability insurance premiums.
The Chairperson of the CCPC will report on the study’s findings to me in due course. There is no confirmed date for the CCPC to issue its report but I expect to receive it in the coming weeks.
