Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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109. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has concerns with regard to a monopoly forming if only one company is getting the opportunity to provide a service (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45817/24]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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110. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures that can be introduced to ensure a fair and competitive marketplace in the supply of a service (details supplied) and ask that a National Framework be established to oversee open and fair competition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45819/24]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 110 together.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is the statutory body responsible for promoting compliance with, and enforcing, competition law in Ireland. The CCPC is independent in the performance of its statutory functions. Investigations and enforcement matters are part of the day-to-day operational work of the CCPC and I as Minister have no direct function in these matters.

The CCPC has in the past received complaints raising concerns that graduation photography services and the supply of graduation gowns were allegedly being dominated by preferred suppliers. Although the CCPC did not find evidence of a breach of competition law on the part of any allegedly preferred suppliers, steps were taken by the CCPC to engage the colleges to ensure that the processes for procuring these services are competitive and transparent.

In 2017, the CCPC engaged with the main third-level colleges (National University of Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University, and the University of Limerick) regarding measures to ensure that suppliers of graduation gowns and graduation photography services compete effectively in this market.

After its assessment the CCPC took remedial action and the universities involved undertook a series of voluntary commitments in 2017 to address the issues identified.

The commitments required universities to:

• Reduce the length of supply contracts to no more than two years, with a potential one-year extension.
• Allow for the decoupling of photography and gown supply contracts.
• State clearly on the university’s website that students may source services from other suppliers.
• These voluntary commitments are intended to facilitate competition and ensure increased transparency in the supply of graduation gowns and graduation photography services.

Following further complaints received regarding graduation photography and the supply of gowns, the CCPC also proactively engaged in 2023 with other recently established technological universities and, during the year, obtained similar voluntary commitments from them all, specifically Technological University Dublin, Technological University of the Shannon, South East Technological University and Munster Technological University.

These commitments notwithstanding, any person may submit a complaint to the CCPC by emailing information directly to complaints@ccpc.ie or by calling +353 1 402 5500 where there are concerns of anti-competitive conduct. The CCPC will consider any such complaints and any relevant competition concerns on a case-by-case basis.