CRH plc - Corruption & Political Influence over the years

[ISBA]

Has the Authority ever investigated the company or the sector ?

No, the Authority claim on their Annual report 2011 to be investigating allegations of anti-competitive conduct in the sector but we have emails from the Authority in 2012 stating that they are not investigating the industry.

It is under the remit of the Competition Authority to provide an 'amicus curiae' to the Court when needed. They have been asked to do so twice on seperate occasions in relation to the cement and concrete industry but both times refused. Below is the transcipt of an email sent to Isolde Goggin, the Chairperson of the Authority, after they refused to give an amicus curiae last February despite numerous politicians requesting them to do so as it was in the public's interest :-


"Dear Ms. Goggin,



We refer to a letter sent from your office to Philip Lee Solicitors regarding a request that the CA submit an Amicus Curiae Brief to the Competition Court in relation to the hearing that will take place tomorrow and Wednesday,in which CRH Plc and 7 other defendants are seeking to have the case brought by Framus Ltd and two others struck out on grounds of delay.



As you are aware there is a massive public interest element to having this case progress to a full hearing. For the record, we believe that during the course of a full hearing, the full extent of the national and regional cartels in the construction materials sector will be exposed. These cartels and other anti-competitive practices have artificially raised the price of construction materials for decades to the detriment of local authorities and consumers in general. As you are aware, local authorities are experiencing an unprecedented revenue crisis.



As long ago as 2004, Dr. Fingleton indicated that the CA would carry out a market study of the sector but this has never happened. On the Authority’s own admission, it is unable to fund criminal investigations and indeed undertake non criminal enforcement in any meaningful way nor is it in a position to carry out any market studies. (We should draw your attention to the recent OFT report (August 2011) into the Cement/Concrete/Aggregates sector in the UK and the OFT’s decision last month to refer the sector to the Competition Commission for a full investigation in the light of findings of a series of anti-competitive practices and structures in the sector).



The attached sample documentation identifies anti-competitive activities in the construction materials sector spanning four decades and we also provide a recent newspaper cutting in relation to the financial crisis in Sligo Co. Co.



You will agree that this is a most untenable situation which is costing consumers across the board many billions of euro annually. In the circumstances, the Authority’s decision not to assist the Court in the Public interest (and of course other reasons put forward by Philip Lee Solicitors) is indeed mind boggling and catastrophic for Irish consumers.



Perhaps you might undertake an urgent re-appraisal of theAuthority’s decision whilst bearing in mind any possible conflicts of interest that may arise.



Kind Regards



Seamus F. Maye

International Small Business Alliance [ISBA]
Culleenamore House
Culleenamore
Strandhill
Co. Sligo

E-mail: info@isba.eu.com
Telephone: (O) 00 353 71 9168126 (M)00 353 87 6485600"

[PaddyJoe]

One for ISBA:

A JUDGE who has heard a series of competition law cases involving CRH had shares in the building materials group, the High Court heard yesterday.

Kilsaran Concrete yesterday asked the High Court to wind up rival Goode Concrete, which is now in receivership, after it failed to pay legal costs due to Kilsaran dating back to a case that first came before the court in November 2010.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...325577515.html

[ISBA]

Richard Bruton attempts to deny conflict of interest over CRH allegations

http://www.thejournal.ie/bruton-deni...45234-Oct2012/

[C. Flower]

Richard Bruton attempts to deny conflict of interest over CRH allegations

http://www.thejournal.ie/bruton-deni...45234-Oct2012/

Bruton is saying that all he has to do is declare his interest in CRH and there is no issue. That is farcical and nonsensical. Anyone with a conflict of interest would in that case be OK if they declared it.

It is also a farce that he says the Competition Authority can't do a market study of any sector in which there is a case before the Courts. A CA study, as he says himself, is not an investigation into alleged criminal behaviour. If the CA couldn't look at any sector which had cases before the courts in might as well be wound up. Any study could be blocked by the simple means of taking a small, spurious, case.

In the meantime, CRH profits increase massively last year to over €700 million.

[fluffybiscuits]

There should be a full disclosure of interests of ministers when they get into office and the same go for the legal profession. Maybe I am out of touch and there is ...

[DCon]

There should be a full disclosure of interests of ministers when they get into office and the same go for the legal profession. Maybe I am out of touch and there is ...

There is for TD's but there are no sanctions for not including everything.

If they forget or mis-remember they simply submit an amendment when they remember/are reminded

[Baron von Biffo]

There is for TD's but there are no sanctions for not including everything.

If they forget or mis-remember they simply submit an amendment when they remember/are reminded

We are responsible for applying the sanction. If they break the rules we shouldn't vote for them again. That's how democracy ought to work but we don't take our duty as citizens seriously here, hence Ahern, light touch regulation and spend it while you have it.