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Legislative Programme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 March 2018

Thursday, 29 March 2018

Ceisteanna (243)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

243. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the status of the Consumer Rights Bill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14901/18]

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Freagraí scríofa

While I am anxious to progress the Scheme of the Consumer Rights Bill published by my Department in May 2015, I have to take account of current European Union legislative proposals for Directives on consumer contracts for the supply of digital content and consumer contracts for the online and other distance sale of goods. These proposals which were announced in May 2015 and published in December 2015 overlap very substantially with two of the main parts of the draft Scheme of the Consumer Rights Bill. In this situation, I and my predecessors have had to consider the advisability of bringing forward a legislative proposal to the Oireachtas when directly related and fully harmonised legislative proposals were progressing through the European Union legislative process. The wisdom of introducing legislation in the Oireachtas if large parts of that legislation would have to be repealed or substantially amended within a relatively short space of time is obviously open to question.

A general approach was agreed on the proposed Digital Content Directive at the Justice and Home Affairs Council in June 2017. The proposal is now the subject of trilogues between the European Parliament, Council and Commission and is likely to be adopted later this year. Four trilogues have been held to date and a fifth meeting is scheduled to take place on 26 April. An amended proposal for a Directive covering all consumer contracts for the sales of goods was published on 31 October 2017. To date, there have been six meetings on the proposal at working party level and a first reading is close to completion. On 22 February 2018, the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee adopted a report on the proposed Directive and agreed a mandate to enter into inter-institutional negotiations on it. I would hope that agreement on a general approach on the proposed Directive can be reached this year. When both Directives have been adopted, my Department will commence work on the necessary changes to the Scheme of the Consumer Rights Bill with a view to bringing a memorandum to Government on the Bill at the earliest possible date.

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