Seanad debates
Tuesday, 4 March 2003
Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed).
I wish to consider this matter in a slightly different way. I want to challenge the culture of secrecy in the Civil Service and the protective attitude politicians have toward information and ask another question. This Bill essentially defends Cabinet secrecy and the retention thereof. I would like a camera to be permanently placed in the Cabinet room and a tape recorder permanently placed on the Cabinet table. With very few subjects excluded, I cannot see why it should not happen. One reason it should happen is that, in any event, everybody will know tomorrow what happened at Cabinet today. The problem is that the spin tends to distort what really happened. Journalists and politicians know which side most Ministers are on with regard to almost all arguments because Cabinets leak information about every issue. Ministers constantly leak information detrimental to each other and others tell stories, which may or may not be true, under the veil of Cabinet secrecy.
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