Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

Vacancies occurred in other Departments due to illness and resignation, but we have no idea why the Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, and the Tánaiste switched Departments. It would be interesting to know the reason.

I thank the Minister for his reply to these questions. Can he offer an assurance that the new legislation will not be used to weaken the Competition Authority in any way? One of the strengths of that body is that it has an executive board made up of experts in their field who tend to act like regulators, in the mould of ComReg or the Commission for Electricity Regulation, rather than taking the more passive approach of the traditional State agency. It is very different to the National Consumer Agency in that regard. Will the Minister comment on that?

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