Consumer watchdog

Good news for consumers. A new price watchdog has been appointed which will merge the Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority. This could mean better prices for consumers as the new establishment will have more criminal investigation powers to inspect and prosecute if companies enter into cartel arrangements that push up prices. There will also be a clampdown on businesses giving false or misleading information as well as those that withhold or omit information. It means better services, more attention to our consumer problems and stricter measures on those that offend.

Find cheap flights with Google

Looking for the best prices for your summer holidays? Google has released a new flight search tool. This means we’ll be able to easily compare the best flight times and prices directly from the Google search results page.

Then you can use the flight search website (www.google.ie/flights) to get more information on the cheapest dates to travel and to book with airline websites (without having to add in the same dates again). There is also an interactive map to visually assess the best destination and cost options.

Both Ryanair and Aer Lingus will be represented on Google Flights.