National Consumer Agency

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National Consumer Agency
State Agency of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation overview
Formed 1 May 2007
Jurisdiction Ireland
Headquarters 4 Harcourt Road, Dublin 2
State Agency of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation executives Karen O'Leary, Chief Executive
Steven Costello, Chairman
Website NCA website

The National Consumer Agency (NCA) (Irish: Gníomhaireacht Náisiúnta Tomhaltoirí) is a statutory body that defends consumer interests in Ireland.

Background

The NCA's origins can be traced to the setting up of the Consumer Strategy Group (CSG) in March 2004.[1]

The CSG presented its report, “Making Consumers Count”, to the then Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin, in April 2005. Among the report's key recommendations was the establishment of a new agency to champion consumer rights.

The NCA was set up on an interim basis in May 2005, and established on a statutory footing on 1 May 2007.[2] Its first chief executive was Ann Fitzgerald, a former chief executive of the Irish Association of Investment Managers. She also chaired the Consumer Strategy Group.

The Irish government announced in its 2009 Budget on 14 October 2008 that the NCA would be amalgamated with the Competition Authority, as part of a rationalisation programme that will reduce the number of state agencies in the country by 41.[3]

The NCA's campaigns to date include naming and shaming retailers who are caught breaking consumer law, preventing car dealers "clocking" second-hand cars (altering vehicles' odometers), and intervention in high-profile consumer disputes including ones with NTL Ireland, Aer Lingus[4] and MCD Promoters[5] These interventions resulted in speedy and satisfactory resolutions to the benefit of consumers.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/consumer-agency-pulls-drug-price-survey-over-errors-1.1343496

The agency has also carried out a series of price comparison surveys between leading supermarket chains, and cross-border comparisons of grocery items in stores' branches in the Republic and Northern Ireland.

On 2 September 2008 the agency published draft guidelines for the retail sector about how they should advertise price reductions, and related matters such as how long an item needs to be on sale at a higher price before advertising it with a reduced price comparison.

In December the same year there was a nationwide withdrawal of pigmeat from retail outlets after a dioxin contamination scare.[6] The NCA successfully campaigned for full compensation for consumers after initial reluctance by some supermarket chains to refund products that were not their own brands.

On 18 June 2009, Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan TD for the Irish Government established a single fully integrated regulatory institution, the Central Bank of Ireland.

As part of this change, the Financial Regulator's consumer information and education role was reassigned to the National Consumer Agency.[7][8][9]

On 16 August 2010 the NCA published its response[10] to the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government's Review of the Retail Planning Guidelines (RPGs) Issues Paper.

ConsumerProperty.ie

In late September 2008 the National Consumer Agency launched a guide and a dedicated website,[11][12] ConsumerProperty.ie, for people living in or planning on buying multi-unit dwellings. The website and guide have information and tipson consumers' rights and responsibilities if living in apartments, gated communities and other multi-unit developments.

The guide, "Buying and Living in a Multi-Unit Development Property" in Ireland, is available in booklet format or as a download from the website. It contains information on legal terms, Property management companies and agents, service charges, sinking funds, the function of developers, identifying defects (snagging), insurance and fire safety.

Economiser

On 30 March 2010 the NCA launched the Economiser.[13][14] This interactive tool advises consumers how much more or less they are spending than the average most relevant to them in Ireland, based on the profiling information they have provided.

This unique tool addresses five key expenditure areas:

  • Groceries
  • Energy
  • TV and telecoms (other than mobile)
  • Mobile phones
  • Motoring – petrol and diesel costs

Shop Smart

In April 2010 the NCA launched an interactive game set in a virtual shopping centre called Shop Smart. It tests young consumers' knowledge of their consumer rights and consumer issues in Ireland.

The game is aimed at Irish Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate students who are studying Home Economics, Business Studies and Civic, Social and Political Education (CSPE).

References

  1. ↑ Forfas Press Release
  2. ↑ Consumer Protection Act 2007-Information from CitizensInformation.ie
  3. ↑ Full list of amalgamations, on Department of Finance's Budget website
  4. ↑ Article in The Irish Times
  5. ↑ RTE article on MCD case.
  6. ↑ Food Safety Authority of Ireland alert
  7. ↑ Press release on the Department of Finance website
  8. ↑ Article in the Irish Times
  9. ↑ Article on BreakingNews.ie about the reform
  10. ↑ NCA response to Department of Environment review of RPGs
  11. ↑ Article in The Irish Times about the launch
  12. ↑ Article in the Sunday Business Post
  13. ↑ Article in the Irish Times
  14. ↑ Article in the Irish Examiner

External links

  • NCA.ie – the NCA's website for consumers
  • corporate.NCA.ie – the NCA's corporate site, aimed more at businesses (explaining consumer legislation and their obligations to consumers), plus researchers and the media
  • ConsumerProperty.ie – the NCA's site about buying an apartment or house in a multi-unit development in Ireland – find out more about the issues and get tips and resources
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