Consumer rights: Holding up a copy of the Beano and a copy of the Government Policy on Consumer Rights, Ciarán Lynch declared that one was a good laugh and the other was a comic.
The candidate for Cork South Central said that when consumers felt their rights had been infringed, they wanted a simple and preferably single point of contact, a one-stop shop.
The single contact point would provide information on rights, which organisation could help, what the redress process would entail, cost and the success rate.
"There is no reason why every city, town and large village should not have a counter service, staffed by helpful and informed advocates on behalf of the consumer, to direct us to the services of the key players in consumer affairs," Mr Lynch said.
Labour would strengthen the role of the Director of Consumer Affairs, he added.
Michael O'Brien, candidate for Carlow/Kilkenny, said Labour would tackle the rip-off culture of modern Ireland. He wanted to see a competition authority that focused on the needs of families.
"I want to see the Competition Authority working its way systematically through the goods and services that families need and rely on and let's see them tackling the rip-offs in each one," he said.
Councillor Seán Sherlock, candidate for Cork East, said Labour was focused on eliminating waste and mismanagement from the public finances and delivering better value for taxpayers' money.
E-voting and PPARS were two concepts which had come to symbolise Fianna Fáil's approach to the misuse of taxpayers' money, he said. "Hard-working families expect certain standards from their government. They expect that the heard earned money they pay in taxes will be spent effectively in providing quality public services and delivering to the communities."
Aidan Culhane, candidate in Dublin South, said the lack of affordable housing was one of the Government's greatest failings.Labour had set out clear proposals on how to control the cost of building land and would drive ahead a real programme of affordable housing, he said.