Feargal Quinn (Independent)

Will the Leader consider a debate on the publication of the Competition Authority's annual report for 2004? I am delighted it has been issued this March. As Members will know, I have tabled amendments to various Bills setting up authorities stipulating that those authorities publish their annual reports within three months after the year to which reports pertain. The amendments are regularly considered but the period is adjusted to six months. The Competition Authority's report has been published within three months.

Consider the words of the chairman of the Competition Authority on pages 3 and 4 of the report where he states "Few if any of the restrictions on competition that the Authority has identified would survive the type of Regulatory Impact Analysis now envisaged in the "Regulating Better" paper produced in 2004 by the Dept of An Taoiseach." We have an obligation to demand that an impact analysis be carried out on all legislation that comes before us. We have asked unsuccessfully for this on a number of previous occasions. Occasionally, we have passed legislation for one purpose without recognising the impact it had on other areas and which could be quite devastating to other aspects of the economy. A debate on the issue in the near future would be useful.

I also wish to comment on the EU constitutional referendum that we are due to hold, although the Government has not yet decided when. However, something happened this week which served as a reminder, namely, the Stability and Growth Pact conditions that were laid down for the benefit of France and Germany have been waived or reduced considerably. It makes a mockery of having such a pact if, as soon as a country encounters difficulties, as have France and Germany, it is immediately reconsidered.