Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I take on board fully the Minister's comments. I have referred to companies which deliberately take advantage of premium rate numbers. Provision should be made for a financial sanction that would make it unprofitable for them to succumb to this temptation. A refund is not a great disincentive because the company will succeed in many instances as only one or two consumers will take up the issue with it and be refunded. The principle underpinning exemplary damages could be considered by the Minister. Perhaps he is correct that there is sufficient discouragement in the current framework but, in many areas, a significant financial penalty should be imposed as an intermediate step before revoking the licence where it has been clearly illustrated somebody following company policy deliberately decided to take advantage of a consumer.