Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I strongly support Senator O'Toole's amendment on including trade unions on the list of those who may make representations. Given section 15 is the provision which requires ComReg to consult publicly in performing its functions in regard to postal services, it seems extraordinary that the relevant unions are not explicitly included within the list of interested parties.

Senator O'Toole stated eloquently that we have a very well-established principle of consultation with employees as stakeholders. Senator O'Reilly also spoke eloquently about the nature of the universal postal service and the enormous contribution to that made by the committed postal workers over many decades. The fact they are not specifically referred to as interested parties in this provision makes no sense. It is correct that representatives of providers of postal services and representatives of consumers - the postal service users - should be consulted, and we are all agreed on that. There is an obvious third interested party which should also be specified, namely, the unions representing those who work within the postal service and make the universal postal service what it is.

We will come to section 16, which defines the universal postal service and to which we and others have tabled amendments. A large part of that definition is made up of the very committed women and men who have worked in the postal service and they deserve to be referred to specifically in terms of consultation with their representatives within the process.