Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Let us have the conversation. This is a new process. It has never happened before. We are trying to be as open as we can and to get input from people who have experience and knowledge but who are not necessarily in government and therefore not directly inputting through the Department. To be fair, my record is one of being as open as I can, whether in debates in the Dáil or Seanad or in conversations in the committee. I will continue in that vein but I will not expose myself to people who seek to abuse the process for political reasons. The more constructive the conversation here, the more open I will be. That is the bottom line.