Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

I want to ask the Taoiseach about two Bills. At the time of the last budget, it was announced that the National Consumer Agency, NCA, and the Competition Authority were to merge in a marriage of quangos. Last weekend, the Minister for Finance indicated that the consumer side of the regulator's office, the one investigating matters such as bank overcharging and that is regarded as being one of the regulator's better sides, if there are any, will be included in the NCA. This seems strange. The Taoiseach had some pithy comments about the performance of the NCA.

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