Rónán Mullen (Independent)

Addressing the Leader briefly, it might be good if we could roll this debate on to a future date because I had some points and comments I would have liked to make. However, I cannot make them now given that we are down to questions. Perhaps we could be facilitated in that regard. If the Minister were amenable to returning on some convenient occasion, it might be possible for more of us to contribute to the debate.

The Minister spoke about the relationship between the workings of the press council and the proposed privacy legislation. He believed that the press council has been reasonably successful, which it is in many ways. What does that mean for his intentions regarding privacy legislation? Is his view that the press council has been a reasonable success so far based on any process of assessment within the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources? Is it based on any consultation or analysis, or is it based on a general sense the Minister has, which, while legitimate in itself, might not be sufficient to enable him to form a view as to what ought to happen on the privacy legislation? While I am not challenging him, I ask him to expand somewhat on what he had to say in that regard?