Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

The Government sought to engage all parties in the effort to address the difficulties in the public finances. With this in mind, I have made my Department available to the Opposition on an unprecedented scale by arranging for officials to brief the main Opposition spokespersons on the latest available figures and on the emerging position.

I am not briefed on the content of the briefings my officials give the Opposition parties. By convention, I am not made aware of what has been discussed by Deputy Bruton and my Department and I can assure him I have every confidence in the protocols it follows that it provides him with all the information it can regarding these matters.

The Deputy has only to request the information he seeks from my Department and it will be made available to him. The one item which cannot be disclosed to him relate to the preparations for the Government itself because the Government, under the Constitution, is entitled to confidentiality in the exercise of its deliberations. I do not know if the Deputy has made such a request because my Department does not disclose to me what its discussions with him have been. My Department cannot disclose materials to the Deputy which have been prepared for the consideration of the Government in the assessment of the options open to it.

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