Mary White (Fianna Fail)

The Government's central function is to make decisions for the good of citizens. Ministers will not express their opinions in a frank manner if they fear that Cabinet memorandums will be placed in the public arena too soon. I would not like my honest opinion, which might be based on vision and which might emerge from a brainstorming session, to be used as a scare story by the media. The Cabinet has to be efficient and smart if it is to perform its functions in an practical manner. If there is a requirement to disclose what passes between Ministers, they will conduct their business exclusively at Cabinet meetings which enjoy full protection. Such meetings would then become unwieldy. I accept that the protections extended to inter-ministerial communications regarding Cabinet matters should go further and be extended to cover other matters.

With respect, the remarks of Senator Higgins regarding public distrust of this process are exaggerated. I realise that he takes this subject very seriously and my comments are not meant to be personally critical, but this has been blown out of all proportion. The public realises that private discussions between Ministers before they get to Cabinet cannot be put into the arena. Any common sense person realises that we cannot disclose everything.

At the Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service people worried about what constituted an "adviser" and asked if those advisers who are not civil servants would be covered by the legislation. That is the provocative matter, which is why clarification as to whom the legislation refers is required. I have complete faith in public sector officials and if they feel that confidentiality should be extended to ten years, we should concur. Clarification is required with regard to who is entitled to what information.