Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will make a final point. I contacted the regulator on behalf of a community group. Unfortunately, I do not have the reply with me but basically I was told it could not talk to me. The community group in question was aware that I have experience in administration and it asked me to call the regulator to find out exactly what it needed. It is time that State agencies did what all Departments do, namely, recognise that under the law, it is a presumption that a public representative approaching an agency or Department has the permission of the person on whose behalf he or she is making the approach. Otherwise, public representatives will not be able to do our business representing our people and resolving these kinds of problems for the weakest in society or those who are the least organised but might be doing the best work.