Mr Richard Bruton TD
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
Kildare Street
Dublin 2
28th May 2012.
Dear Minister Bruton,
As our minister with responsibility for consumer affairs in Ireland the Consumers’ Association of Ireland (CAI) have requested a meeting with you on two previous occasions both or which were unsuccessful. Taking note of your advised busy schedule we therefore sought a meeting with Minister John Perry but this too was advised to be impossible.
On each occasion we stressed the importance of discussing the difficulties and debilitating struggle that the CAI has endured since our establishment in 1966 but, more intensely, over the past 3 years of this recession. We have, since the enactment of the Consumer Protection Act 2007, outlined to the Department, in great detail and with clear advice, how our – now ceased – exchequer funding, by nature of its being changed from trading support to project based, actually placed a burden on the Association both in terms of financial and human resources. This was because every project we submitted required additional resources which the Association – a unique not-for-profit, independent organisation registered with charitable status – could not afford. This was ignored and we were simply quoted the same mantra that a high level interdepartmental group had decided this was how it would be. This, then, as now, simply ignored our struggling position and, we will argue, contributed to the deterioration of our position.
The €60,000 set aside in 2010 for the Association was reduced to a granting of €28,000 and, as we were struggling to meet the deadline set by the Department -as that 2010 project was still in progress – we were advised that there would be no funding made available to us at all for 2011. Now in 2012 we remain unsupported and, as a direct result, in the position of considering the necessary immediate closing down of this long established and uniquely independent consumer organisation. It is noteworthy that as an organisation highly appreciated by the European Commission, and deemed by them essential to the independent representation of consumers inIreland, we will find our doors closed withIrelandclaiming a unique position when we take the EU Presidency 2013 of being the firstMemberStateto have no independent consumer organisation.
The Consumers’ Association of Ireland is a small enterprise that employs a staff now reduced to 4 paid individuals. We rely – entirely – upon the subscriptions and generosity of Irish consumers to fund our lobbying as well as the production of our independent product tests and comparative research articles which we release through our magazine Consumer Choice. This magazine, as you know Minister, is utilised as a teaching guide in schools and as a guide to confident purchasing, investment and savings by readers in libraries and homes across the country.
Our representation at the European table is well known, acknowledged and appreciated. Our presence and contributions to the European Consumer Consultative Group (ECCG), ECCG Financial Services Working Group, ECCG Competition Working Group, together with provision of the CAI Telephone Advice and Information service to Irish consumers and chairing of the European Consumer Centre – are all provided without remuneration. Yet, we are ignored and unsupported.
We are now at a point where, having been ignored by you and your Department Minister and left to struggle in a manner that is not true to the stated representative nature of your elected position, we cannot continue without intervention. The loss to the consumers of this nation will be significant.
We are therefore requesting an urgent meeting to discuss our financial position, the loss of employment for our long contributing CEO, staff and volunteers and how urgent and essential funding can be immediately provided to save this organisation, these jobs and maintain the unique contribution that we provide.
Yours sincerely
Michael Kilcoyne
Chairman
Raymond O’Rourke
Vice-Chairman
cc An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, TD
An Tánaiste, Eamon Gilmore, TD
Micheál Martin, TD
