Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

Media correspondents in The Irish Times and Irish Independent and others have covered this matter. As the Minister knows this individual is known as the "cable cowboy". In reality this cable cowboy will control the entire cable platform. The Minister made a fair point in saying we would have a united cable platform. However, in addition he is the second largest shareholder in BskyB in the satellite platform. Does this not therefore allow for a repetition of the mistake made by the Minister's predecessor 20 years ago and the mistake made by another Minister a few years ago with the sale of Eircom?

I have also asked questions of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment on this point. Is it not the responsibility of the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to initiate a Competition Authority investigation? Is it not true, as we have been informed by the media, that an elaborate financial warehousing operation was mounted by John Malone of Liberty Global whereby Morgan Stanley appears to take over NTL to preclude an investigation by the Competition Authority? Is this not a very serious matter affecting competition in our telecommunications industry? In Austria Liberty Global is operating a triple play. We have a television network, pay television, a phone roll out and a broadband roll out. Is it not important to ensure that both platforms be kept distinct?

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