Vol. 395 No. 2
75 Mr. Cowen asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce when the Director of Consumer Affairs will report to him in relation to the trading activities of the ESB in white and brown electrical goods; if the matter will be expedited; the timescale within which recommendations will be acted upon; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
While the Director of Consumer Affairs and Fair Trade has advised me that the investigation which I asked him to undertake into the ESB's use of its billing system as a means of collecting repayments on credit purchases of white and brown electrical goods is proceeding as quickly as possible, I remain conscious of the degree of concern which has been expressed regarding this matter and I have asked him to do his utmost to expedite his work in this area. As, regrettably, the director is not in a position at present to indicate when he will be able to finalise his consideration of this matter, I cannot at this stage usefully comment in relation to the likely timescale for implementation of any recommendation he may make.
