Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In 2007 the European Court of Justice indicated there had to be a competition with the provision of services from the social welfare Department. The competition took place and An Post won it. At the time, the relevant legislation was from 2005 and it specifically mentioned An Post. The Minister has now told us that somebody could now have a better chance of challenging the legislation if the proposed change is not made. It is a legal nonsense. The competition took place and if somebody was to challenge the validity of the contract with An Post now, that party would do so on the basis that An Post was mentioned in the 2005 legislation. Any change to it now will not alter that fact, as the Minister well knows.

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