Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

No, my economic insight goes much further than that. I am just pointing out how far the Deputy's went on a particular occasion.

There were many agencies that predated the last Government and even the establishment of the Freedom of Information Act which were brought under the aegis of the legislation when I was Minister for Finance, including the Garda Síochána and others. It is not accurate to claim the widening of the legislation only related to those agencies or offices set up to develop public services in recent years. There were many well-known State organisations that predated the legislation which now fall under its remit.

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