Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Deputy McDonald is absolutely right, and it is clear in section 90. A civil servant, a member of the Permanent Defence Force or a garda may, if asked by a committee, gave a factual account of a matter, including evidence of anything said or communicated by any person during the course of events of which an account has been given. In essence, what informed the decision, which is what we really want to know, is fully available, and this includes the options. All that is prohibited is for a civil servant to state what his or her preferred view was or that the Minister was quite wrong. Information on all the background to the decision-making - who submitted evidence, who was present and what options were discussed - is perfectly available.