Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

The Minister may accept amendment No. 15 which would require the commission to furnish the Minister with information. However, the same courtesy is not being provided for Members and the Minister will not convey the information to them. All we require through this amendment is that the Minister should answer parliamentary questions and give to the House information he has been given by the commission. I cannot understand his problem that he cannot change procedures. The procedure has always been that the Minister is responsible to the House and provides information for it. It is farcical for him to tell us that we can receive information at an Oireachtas committee. As Deputy Shortall said, that might happen once or twice a year. A myriad of issues must be discussed at committees. By the time a particular matter might be discussed, it would probably be irrelevant. It is when an issue is live that we need the Minister or the commission to be accountable. This is where it is supposed to happen, but the Minister is deliberately thwarting it.

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