The Central Statistics Office publishes indices of consumer prices, including the EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, which is accepted as the best method of comparing consumer prices across the European Union. The most recent Harmonised Index has shown that consumer prices in Ireland rose by 1.5% in the twelve months to April 2011 as compared with rises of 3.2% in the rest of the community and 4.5% in our nearest neighbour the UK for the same period. Indeed the Index has shown that prices continue to rise faster in every other country of the European Union than Ireland.
Insofar as the sectors mentioned in the question are concerned, the Deputy will be aware that the Competition Authority has published a number of reports resulting from studies it carried out on various sectors or professions since 2004. The reports usually contain a suite of recommendations, aimed at improving competition in the relevant area and are addressed to the responsible Government Department or body. Such reports have included the medical and legal professions.
Responsibility for any proposals aimed at ending apparent restrictions on competition in a particular sector rests with the Minister with responsibility for that particular policy area. For example, policy proposals concerning the legal and medical sectors are matters for my colleagues, the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Minister for Health respectively. I understand that both Ministers are working on proposals in respect of these sectors at present.
Given the responsibility of my Department for competition policy in general, I will be reporting to Government shortly on the progress achieved by a number of Government Departments in the implementation of the Competition Authority recommendations and I will continue to urge my Government colleagues to ensure that everything is done to help improve competitiveness in their areas of responsibility.
The Government is determined to ensure that the narrowing of differentials in prices with our competitors as evidenced in the CSO's recent returns will continue particularly in areas such as utility charges, professional fees, etc and thereby ensuring that the improvement in our relative cost competitiveness continues.