Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

It is not just a matter of FOI. The change I have seen over the years is one with which Deputy Quinn will be familiar. In the old days, a long time back, a file was circulated to sections. As Deputy Quinn will recall, the opinions of EOs, HEOs and assistant principals tended to be written in manuscript on files. I have not seen a file like that in a long time. I would put it down not just to FOI but to the committee system, various investigations and other issues. Under the old system, I enjoyed following the train of an argument through the relevant sections and picking up what middle-ranking people would say as distinct from what others would say. It was always an interesting read, but I have not seen such a file in a long time.

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