Jim Higgins (Fine Gael)

Yesterday evening, after a long and tortuous debate, we reached section 6 of the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill. No doubt this Bill is one of the most important measures to come before the Oireachtas in the past 20 years because it cuts across the fundamental rights already established under the 1997 Act.

The Bill is being introduced in this House. Therefore this is the first attempt of the Oireachtas at debating the Bill and deciding on its merits or demerits. The purpose of Committee Stage is to enable the Legislature to undertake a root and branch analysis of each section and each amendment put forward by the Opposition or by the Government. At 4 p.m. today huge tranches of this Bill will not have been debated. If it were the other House that were given the privilege of dealing with this Bill, it would go to select committee and be dealt with, section by section, amendment by amendment. It would be given as much time as possible. There would be absolutely no containment and no restriction.

The manner in which this is being bull-dozed and guillotined through shows absolute contempt for the Bill and for Parliament. It is manifestly wrong. The subject matter itself and the procedures of Parliament are too serious to allow this to happen. I believe that the Leader, in her heart of hearts, in her own conscience and mind, does not agree with this procedure. It is wrong, for example, that section 12, which is the core of the Bill, will not be reached today.