Seanad debates

Thursday, 20 March 2003

Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages.

 

The Labour Party, which has tried to delete the words "freedom of information" from the Title to the Bill, used those words in the name of a Bill it brought forward in the Dáil recently. If the party is to be consistent, it will accept that the Title to the Bill is a proper one. The Minister has received excellent advice on the Bill from senior officials, who have been dealing with the Principal Act for some time, and he has acted very well. It was small-minded of people to allude to the fact that he had other commitments last week. I served as both a Minister and a Minister of State and I brought forward many Bills for different Ministers at various times. A Minister or Minister of State who is present in the Seanad acts on behalf of the Government. The Minister for Finance, who has made a tremendous input into this legislation, acquitted himself well on Second Stage and he will continue to support it as it passes through the House. The amendment proposed by the Labour Party should be rejected.

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