Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 192: To ask the Minister for Finance when he expects the transfer of the consumer information and education functions of the Financial Regulator to the National Consumer Agency, to be completed; the interim arrangements that have been made to ensure that consumers are not in any way put at a disadvantage while this process is being completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7618/10]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The consumer information and education functions currently carried out within the Consumer Directorate in the Financial Regulator are to be transferred to the National Consumer Agency (NCA) in the forthcoming Bill to reform the structures for financial regulation. I expect that the Bill will be published in the current session.

In the interim, and in the interests of making the transfer of function as seamless as possible, the Financial Regulator and the NCA have agreed that the NCA will carryout the consumer information and education role of the Financial Regulator on its behalf, with effect from 01 March 2010. The parties have agreed that staff from the Financial Regulator will be seconded and will be transferred to the NCA with effect from that date.

As a result of the secondment arrangement the skills of the financial regulator staff will be available to consumers via the NCA. To ensure all customer contacts have been catered for, arrangements are in place to ensure that consumers can continue to access information about personal finance via the "itsyourmoney.ie" website and can make enquiries about their personal finances by phone.