John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)

It is a fact. It is in the report. When the legislation is published and the service agreement with Bord Gáis or the new company is drawn up, I will be looking to see the Government's policy in relation to the regulator. The manner in which that policy will be applied to the domestic situation in this country will be critical when the deal is being done. The Government might argue that the household charge is just €2 a week, but we all know people who are in such dire straits they cannot afford it. How far has the Government gone in its discussions with the staff involved? The Minister of State said 4,000 people are working in this area. According to the report, the figure is 3,600. It is broken down into different grades.

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