Vol. 527 No. 1
52 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the progress she has made to change the European Union's decision to impose a regulation instead of a directive on unbundling access to the local loop here; and if she has lobbied all the other EU Ministers on the serious effects this regulation will have on Ireland. [27410/00]
At the Council of Telecommunications Ministers meeting on 3 October last a number of amendments to the proposed regulation on local loop unbundling were agreed. I gave my support to the revised draft of the regulation on the basis that all operators, including the incumbent telecommunications operators in member states, are to be treated fairly and that, in particular, the incumbent operator will be guaranteed a reasonable rate of return on investment in the local loop.
