Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business: that No. 1 be deleted, that the matter not be debated until such time as the Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service organises a meaningful review and consultation with all interested parties on the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 1997 and that any proposal or proposals to amend the principal legislation prior to the conclusion of such a review be regarded by Seanad Éireann as premature.

My party will oppose today's Order of Business as the Leader is, in effect, proposing a guillotine of our proceedings in the House tonight and, in a most unseemly way, attempting to rush through what is poorly thought out and ill-considered legislation. The Government is wrong to rush it through the House. The Bill was published only on Friday. Most colleagues received it in their post either yesterday or today. We have not been given enough time for any kind of review of the matter to take place. None of the players involved in the freedom of information regime has been properly consulted by any committee of the Oireachtas. For us to advance the Government's proposal at this stage would be wrong and completely against the all-party spirit in which the Freedom of Information Act was put in place in 1997.

I understood the objective of the alleged watchdog, the Progressive Democrats, was to keep an eye on Fianna Fáil.