Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

It is high time we stopped it. While various parties have had cosy relationships with lawyers in the past, we must consider the public interest. I cannot see how the public interest is served where the law is, in effect, inaccessible to anyone other than the big battalions, be they individuals or firms.

Mention was made by my colleague, Senator Leyden, of the advertisements of a person whose name we are not supposed to mention in this House. I am not sure why we are prevented from naming him. The reason we do not name the officials sitting behind the Minister is that they cannot answer back and defend themselves, but no one could accuse the person we are not allowed to name as being incapable of answering back and defending himself. However, colleagues should note that the more we splutter with outrage, the more we please and encourage the gentleman in question. It is his trademark. I have seen German magazines in which he takes on Lufthansa. He loves to take people on and the more we splutter, the more he feels he is hitting home. I would be inclined to be a little more thick skinned and to ignore such behaviour. That is what it merits.

Competition has been very beneficial in telecommunications and airlines, but we need to be careful. There has been a great deal of talk about privatising the ESB, but if increasing competition in this area is to mean much higher energy prices, we should question what we are doing. I do not worship competition and privatisation as forms of divinity. The question must be what effect acting in a certain manner will have. If it is a question of pushing up prices to provide a return to the shareholder, I would rather the shareholder was the State. Later this afternoon, the House will discuss the Common Agricultural Policy reform package which is certain to have a positive impact on food prices.

I pay tribute to the social partners. In concluding their agreement in quite difficult and uncertain circumstances, they acted in a very statesmanlike fashion. They are being rewarded by the fact that the rate of inflation will almost certainly be below the wage increases they will receive, although it was not obvious this would be the case when the agreement was being concluded. They will have made a fine deal.

The euro constitutes a very tight framework and we cannot allow inflation to get out of control as it has done in the past. This is a very important point. I hope the reduction we have seen in the rate of inflation is reflective of the soft landing we are achieving for the economy.