Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

I am being brief. It is quite a complex issue, but it is very important. I appreciate that the Leas Ceann Comhairle has given me a moment.

The Minister's letter to me on this issue reiterated the old argument. If he is open to today's needs, then I urge him to support this motion. It seems to me that he is trapped in his Department. He has an agile mind and he understands the industries we are talking about, yet he is caught in this stasis at a time when we need appropriate thinking, lean and keen government and appropriate structures of regulation.

If we proceed with this Bill, we will end up with two parallel organisations. The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland is already costing a lot of money. In one year its cost went from €6.6 million to €7.2 million. That kind of spending in the overall requirements of the Government may be quite small, but in order to ensure that we get efficient governance, it does matter. I urge the Minister to accept this motion so that we can address the issues as convergences occur. We need a converged regulator to meet the needs of today and the future.

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