Competition and Consumer Protection Commission

So if you've picked up a hair dryer in Aldi over the last year or so, well, pay attention because they're recalling 5,400 hair dryers because they could cause an electrical shock or even a fire.

So this warning comes from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and it concerns the brand Ambiano Ionic Hair Dryers.

And they are sold in Aldi, but this particular batch would have been between August and September of last year.

So if you picked up one of those, worth emphasising that we have electrical appliances in our homes, channelling vast amounts of power.

From highly flannable synthetic fabrics and neck drawstrings to tiny parts that present serious choking risks, particularly for younger children.

Behind the scenes, product safety officers at the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, the CCPC, inspect hundreds of items every year.

So...

What should you be checking on that label before you head to the checkout? What makes a costume genuinely fire safe? And what immediate steps should you take if you suspect an accessory that you have purchased is actually unsafe? Well, joining me to walk us through everything we need to know is market surveillance expert at the CCPC.

Bye bye.

That is John Murdoch.

And John is the market surveillance expert at the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

Just want to keep everybody safe this Halloween.

The country's business watchdog was joined by police officers as it carried out the unannounced searches of businesses involved in the solar panel industry.

Officers from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission were acting under search warrants issued by the district court.

The Watchdog hasn't said which companies were targeted or where the searches took place.

It's investigating suspected anti-competitive behaviour, including bid rigging, where companies agree in advance who will win a contract rather than competing for it.

You're taking a risk.

There's a very, very good tool on the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission website, CCPC.com. where it looks, it's an assessment of your risk appetite and it sees, have you got spare money? Are you prepared to lose money if this thing goes wrong? You need to be in here for the long haul.

The other key thing, Matt, is if you're over 45 or 50, you should be prioritising the pension because it is the best tax relief you can get.

There is no better tax, especially if you're on the 40% tax rate, the income tax rate.

Conor McCauley, RTÉ News, Portadown.

Nine online gaming companies, including the makers of Candy Crush, Minecraft, and Clash of Clans, are being investigated by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and other European consumer authorities for potential breaches of consumer protection law.

The action's looking into issues such as in-game purchases and transparency around costs.

Our consumer affairs correspondent, Angus Cox.

Broad claims such as eco-friendly or carbon neutral can face restrictions where they lack appropriate evidence, while sustainability labels must meet specified certification requirements.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission is responsible for enforcement.

The changes implement an EU directive designed to tackle misleading environmental marketing, shifting sustainability claims further towards evidence-based consumer information.

For businesses, the change means environmental language is increasingly becoming a matter of regulated consumer protection rather than simply marketing practice.

For further information, see Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, DLA Piper Ireland and Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Greenland, Denmark, and the United States signed a new defense agreement in New York on the 22nd of September, expanding the framework for U.S. military activity in Greenland.

The agreement provides for additional U.S. defense areas at Narsarsuak and Mestersvig, alongside the existing Pitufik facility, while explicitly recognizing Greenlanders' right to self-determination and reaffirming Danish sovereignty.