Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

We are trying to get out from under the IMF, both in the verbal and financial sense. Regulators are not working in fields like aviation and transport. Representatives of the National Transport Authority wrote to a man operating buses between Limerick and Dublin recently indicating that he could not have extra buses operating if they were being left standing in the rain. The energy regulator, which the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd, would rely on for regulating water, has given the ESB chief executive a salary approximately four times that of the Taoiseach. The regulators should be examined. The Central Bank is probably the world's leading failed regulator as it caused the collapse of our banking system.

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, has indicated that the terms we signed with private operators to operate toll roads were disastrous from the taxpayers' and road users' perspective. A Minister of State, Deputy Shortall, drew attention last week to the fact that we have agreements with drug companies where we are getting perhaps 30% reductions in drug prices, while others were getting an 80% reduction. All public-private partnerships and agencies must be taken into consideration.

This is a splendid proposal and I wish it well. I apologise for using much of the time before handing over to Senator Quinn. I thank the Minister for coming to the House, which will support his efforts.