Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for the presentations and updates. I have a couple of sets of questions. The first set of questions is for the Department. When the officials were in with us before, they indicated a timeline. Will they give us an update on their sense of the timeline and where we are in the preparation of the heads of this legislation with the Government? How does that relate to the potentially substantial fines they have mentioned? Will they explain further what is meant in the last paragraph of the opening statement which refers to new advice from the Attorney General and the implications of the Supreme Court judgment leading to a difference between the published Bill and the general scheme? How does that relate to the timeline and the types of consideration the Department has to undertake in that regard? We heard the representatives of ComReg indicate that it has a preference for the model of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022. Does the Department support or agree with this or intend to incorporate it into the Bill?

My next questions are for ComReg. The witnesses have covered ComReg's perspective on the Bill in their opening statement. We have heard from them before with specific regard to customer service, response times and the quality of response, particularly from broadband and telecommunications providers. As it stands at this stage, the Bill would give ComReg additional powers to address those issues. What might customers expect in that regard? With regard to the nuisance calls people have been getting, which seem to have quietened down a little bit, what might customers expect from this legislation in practical terms if it is fully enacted?