Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

I can withstand the temptation of a moment of fame in exchange for a lifetime of hard work as a Minister. For that reason I do not propose to accept the amendment. The purpose of the section is to enable the Minister to make regulations for the purpose of giving effect to the European Community legislation. This arose from the Vincent Browne v Attorney General case. It provides the power for effective penalties for non-compliance and serious breaches of the regulatory framework. The Minister of the day has the power to implement new changes to the framework in a timely manner.

The Deputies refer to other areas to which this power may apply, but it is more important for the telecommunications industry than for others. The industry is fast-changing and dynamic and it is important that we legislate for certain offences in a timely manner. The Deputies referred to the length of time this Bill has been in gestation. That is a reflection of the complexities of the Bill rather than the hard work of the officials in the Department.

This is an industry that is so fast changing and dynamic that it is important we should be able to——

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