Brendan Ryan (Labour)

If the Competition Authority is dissatisfied with the code of conduct, will the matter ultimately be resolved by the council noting that fact and publicising it or do the authority's powers extend to being able to pursue the matter further? Will the authority be in a position to use its powers to change the code of conduct? Will there merely be a procedure that will involve the issuing of a notification to the effect that the authority is not satisfied with some aspect of the code of conduct?

I am wary of the Competition Authority. Some of its recent rulings have been quite daft. For instance, that the Health Service Executive cannot negotiate with the Irish Pharmaceutical Union is daft. It will place an enormous burden on the HSE and will not achieve anything in terms of value for money, either for the State or for consumers. However, that is a separate day's discussion.

Is there a residual power? What will happen afterwards? Will the Competition Authority effectively be able to pursue the council to change these? They can still publish and operate them. I take it the Minister understands my point.