There has been virtually no consultation with the Information Commissioner, who is the last recourse of appeal for citizens. The Government has said it favours consultation and that it is the way to do business and process legislation. The Taoiseach's action programme on regulatory reform, launched in 1998, states: "There should be adequate consultation with interested parties before new legislation is introduced." The Government's February 2002 paper on better regulation states: "One method of engaging citizens in decision making is the use of public consultation processes." This morning we saw what happened to that process. An amendment I proposed to the Order of Business which would have allowed the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service to engage the public and the users of freedom of information by holding specific hearings at no cost to the Exchequer was voted down by the Government. It is voting against its own stated policy, which dates back to 2002.