Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

It is a little insulting of the Minister to suggest Deputies are solely concerned with "rudimentary operational matters". I have certainly never asked a Minister to fill a pothole. Basic information on important matters is not available to Members because we are told that they come within the remit of the various bodies. The flow of information has stopped completely. This aspect of the matter is separate from the issue of accountability. The Minister knows as well as I do that there can be a fine line between policy issues and operational matters. Ministers refuse to answer questions when it suits them to do so. Information is being withheld from the House. It is nonsense to suggest the Oireachtas committee system is being misused, or that its value is not being maximised. The Minister knows as well as I do that committees set out in advance their agendas for the term or year. If a matter arises and information from one of these bodies is urgently needed, it can take three, four or five months for a slot in the committee timetable to become available. Problems of that nature can develop when we try to access basic information. An important point is being made in my amendment and the similar amendment No. 6 in the name of Deputy Ferris. I ask the Minister to change the way the previous Minister for Transport operated in order that basic information can be made available to the House. As the freedom of information provisions do not apply in many instances, this Parliament is becoming irrelevant. Our democracy was damaged by the manner in which the previous Minister operated. I ask the Minister not to behave in a similar manner. I ask him to accept amendment No. 3.

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