Michael McCarthy (Labour)

Even at my age one gets a bit tired of these things every now and then.

One of the most disappointing aspects surrounding this amending legislation is that the Government failed to embark on any form of consultation. I was going to say meaningful consultation but there was no consultation at all. Senator O'Toole rightly pointed out that the person central to the Freedom of Information Act, the Information Commissioner, did not even receive a telephone call or a letter asking him for his opinion on what was introduced last Friday. It is a sad facet of any Administration that it would not bother to consult the people most affected by the Freedom of Information Act.