The Government plans to appoint a new member to the Commission for Communication Regulation (ComReg), the State body that regulates the postal and telecommunications markets.

It will advertise the position, which carries an annual salary of about 150,000, within the next few weeks as a replacement for Ms Etain Doyle, who stepped down from ComReg in February of this year.

It is expected that the job description will prioritise experience of working in the private sector.

The new commissioner will join the two existing members of ComReg, Mr John Doherty and Ms Isolde Goggin, who were appointed by the Minister for Communications, Mr Ahern, in November 2002.

Ms Doyle's tenure as commission member came to an end a few months before her official contract expired on June 30th.

Prior to her departure as a commissioner she became embroiled in a dispute with the Government over her pension entitlements.

The Government was forced to introduce new legislation in 2003 to enable it to pay Ms Doyle's pension.

It amended the Communications Regulation Act 2002 last year when passing the Digital Hub Development Agency Act.