Derek McDowell (Labour)

We should not cod ourselves. While I accept the Minister of State's good faith in the issue, there are Departments of State – the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform is the most obvious one – which regard almost ipso facto everything they do as confidential. Some colleagues in that Department have to be pushed and shoved into briefing anyone as to the nature of what they do. There will be a need for proactive action from Government in this regard. We do not want the Justice and Home Affairs pillar of the European Union closed down because the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform regards these matters as confidential.

I endorse Senator Hayes's point on the facility whereby committees can meet in private. I have been on the finance committee for the past five years and it is not unusual for relatively confidential information to be confided to members of the committee in private session. No doubt Government Ministers could make use of that provision.