Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 October 2010
224 Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation in view of the fact that companies based in Northern Ireland have the right to register for a .ie domain name, is there any mechanism in place to inform consumers that those goods and services are from Northern Ireland rather than the Republic of Ireland and his plans to put such a requirement in place. [36864/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the database of .ie registered internet domain names is maintained by a non -profit, non governmental organization and I have no function in the matter.
The Deputy will be aware that the free movement of goods and services is a basic tenet of the European Treaties. There is no general obligation, however, requiring a trader whether offering goods for sale as a traditional bricks and mortar retailer or via the internet as an etailer to provide particular information in relation to maters such as the origin of the goods being offered for sale.
The Consumer Protection Act 2007 does, however, prohibit traders from engaging in unfair commercial practices, including engaging in misleading practices such as providing false information in relation to the geographical or commercial origin of goods. Accordingly any trader, be they a retailer or an etailer, who provides false information as to the origin of goods that they sell and where such information would be likely to cause the average consumer to make a transactional decision that the consumer would not otherwise make, may be committing an offence under the Consumer Protection Act 2007. Evidence of traders engaging in such practices should be brought to the attention of the National Consumer Agency in order that it may be investigated.
