What we do

We are responsible for the enforcement of a wide range of consumer legislation. The legislation underpinning the National Consumer Agency, the Consumer Protection Act 2007, marked the biggest reform of consumer legislation in 30 years. This Act gives us additional and powerful enforcement tools, including prohibition notices, undertakings from traders, compliance notices, on the spot fines for offences relating to price display, and the ability to "name and shame" with the publication of non-compliant trader names. The Act also gives effect, in Irish law, to the EU Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, which provides the NCA with the basis for tackling a range of unfair and misleading commercial practices. Read more about our enforcement role, or if you want to report a business to us, contact us.

We carry out targeted research into consumer attitudes, shopping habits, switching behaviour and willingness to complain if they have a problem with a product or service. We also conduct pricing surveys across diverse areas of spending to raise awareness of price differences and to encourage businesses to offer good value and transparent pricing. Our research helps us to identify issues of concern to consumers and weaknesses in current consumer policy. It also helps us to identify themes for public awareness campaigns, supports our advocacy and lobbying programmes and feeds into our enforcement activities. Read more about our research.

We are the market surveillance authority in Ireland for safety of products covered by certain EU Directives and we have responsibility for monitoring and processing non-food product recalls in Ireland. We are also the Irish contact point for the European Commission's Internet-based rapid alert system for the notification on hazardous non-food consumer items (RAPEX).

We provide consumer information and run public awareness to fulfil two of our statutory roles:

To promote public awareness and conduct public information campaigns for the purpose of educating and advising consumers in relation to consumer protection and welfare
To promote the interests of consumers of financial services by providing information on financial services, including information on the costs risks and benefits of those services.

We also run financial education programmes for consumers. You can find out more on our Financial education website or by contacting our financial education team.