Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

At least we have policies, unlike Senator Leyden's party.

It is important, in the context today of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources's announcement regarding the reduction in energy prices with the ESB, that we have a debate on regulation. There is complete mayhem in the area of regulation. There is a taxi regulator who will not agree with the taxi drivers, the ESB wanted to reduce prices and the energy regulator stated the company could not do so, and the banking regulator fell asleep at the watch aided by Government. There is no regulation. There is nobody watching regulation. It needs to be explained, it needs to be co-ordinated and, more importantly, it needs to be on the side of people.

I agree with Senator Keaveney. There is not enough analysis in the newspapers. There are people writing in the newspapers every day who are giving an opinion on everything from the colour of the hair of the dog to the price of cabbage in the organic markets and, frankly, many of them know nothing. There are some of them in this House as well — not Senator Harris, by the way, whom I respect and who has taken the soup a long time ago so we know in whose stable he is. There are members of the media writing on politics who, frankly, should be ashamed of their profession.