Madam, - According to a report in your edition of February 15th, the chairwoman of the National Consumer Agency, Ann Fitzgerald, is summarily dismissive of a recent finding by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCC) on an advertisement by her organisation.
The finding resulted from a complaint made by RGDATA about an NCA advertisement on the consultation process for the Groceries Order. Ms Fitzgerald is quoted as claiming that the decision of the BCC was "cracked" and "beggars belief" and even suggests that the ruling seemingly prevents the NCA from placing an advert on the radio to refer consumers to their national website.
As Ms Fitzgerald and every wise consumer well knows it is always important to read the small print. RGDATA objected to the NCA advertisements as they involved the expenditure of public monies by a State agency to put one side of a contested political argument through the unchallenged medium of radio advertising. The BCC found that the NCA was using taxpayers' money to influence, through advertising, a political decision-making process. In fact, one of the advertisements advised consumers to participate in a consultation process and also advised them of what stance they should take. RGDATA, as a bona fide representative body, would not have been allowed to place such an advertisement by broadcasters.
There is nothing in the BCC decision that prevents the NCA or any other statutory body from referring people to its website on general consumer information. There is, however, a clear message to publicly funded State organisations that they should not use public funds to peddle one side of an argument in a contested political decision-making process. Surely in a democratic society that should not "beggar belief" or seem "cracked".
Perhaps Ms Fitzgerald needs to decide if it is citizens' rights or consumers' rights that come first before she so casually dismisses the findings of another statutory body that has both credibility and independence. - Yours, etc,
TARA BUCKLEY, Director General, RGDATA, Blackrock, Co Dublin.