Seanad debates

Tuesday, 4 March 2003

Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed).

 

The most important element of the entire process is the so-called deliberative process. This is a very difficult notion to pin down. Some Departments consider a deliberative process to be simply a decision. Some consider it to be a campaign and others a war. I have on occasion requested information under the Act about correspondence which took place during the so-called Estimates campaign. Once that campaign is over and the budget and Estimates have been presented, some Departments will provide the information to which I refer. Others, however, will say that they did not get it this year, that they might obtain it next year and that they will present the same arguments at that stage and, therefore, the deliberative process is not over.

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