John Gerard Hanafin (Fianna Fail)

I note with interest this morning the profitability of Vodafone, the largest supplier in the mobile telephony market in this country. I request a debate on the telecommunications market. The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Dermot Ahern, is to be commended for ensuring the regulator has put in place a system whereby NVNOs will be on offer very shortly, thereby increasing competition in the market. Similar competition is being provided by Meteor and the 3G licence. I suggest that during the debate the House reminds the profit-making companies of the ethos and wishes of the people that it should not be a profitability game at any cost. I refer specifically to the type of videos that could be streamed through 3G mobile phones.

In a discussion of the telecommunications market, it is good to remind ourselves of the use made of the money raised by the flotation of Eircom. Last year, when the markets were not performing particularly well, one could not pick up a newspaper without reading that the national pension fund was down by certain amounts. Now that the markets have more than recovered and our futures have been secured again, it shows this money was spent very wisely. The Minister concerned and the Minister for Finance should be commended for their work.