Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am not an expert on codes of practice but I know what I would like to see included therein, as does the Senator. He has his view on this and I have mine. The CER has a great deal of experience and knowledge in this area. My point is that it is open to Senators to ensure commission members are brought before the committee for a comprehensive engagement. That is far more than making telephones or writing letters. The committee is a public forum where everybody can see and hear what is happening. I hope members of the committee will question the commission members closely on all their plans and proposals. The codes of practice will be presented in the form of a consultative document, and committee members will have an opportunity to request that a particular issue be addressed therein.

I do not underestimate the importance of the role of the Oireachtas in any of this. The regulator is on the record as wishing to communicate proactively with Members. My concern is to ensure the law in this area is the best it can be. What happens in other jurisdictions is very relevant and we will look at the code of practice in the United Kingdom and so on in that context. That is how we garner collective wisdom and devise better regulation. The Oireachtas has a very constructive role to play in that process.