Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Ferris only proposed that, when it was in the national interest, the Minister could intervene. He did not propose the Minister would intervene willy-nilly. It would only happen when it was in the national interest. It would have to be an issue of overriding national interest and it could not be in the interest of An Post. The argument, therefore, that this is impossible because the regulator is independent is untenable. The Bill is full of provisions where the Minister's consent is needed.

The only way ComReg can be brought to heel by the House if it disagrees with what ComReg does is by changing the law. We can ask ComReg to appear in committees and we can debate with it forever. If ComReg then decides to ignore us, it can and there is no sanction. The only sanction on ComReg is that we change the law or allow for cases where the Minister's consent or direction is needed. That is how simple this is. Many of us have experienced bodies that come in for meetings and give an account of what they are doing but we have little influence on what they do because they can do what they want.

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