Seanad debates
Thursday, 20 March 2003
Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages.
There may have been other Ministers for Finance and other Ministers who have gone against the advice of their officials over the years who are not readily known to people, Members of the Opposition of both Houses are delighted to come to see me in groups or individually to ask me to do things on their behalf which the officials of my Department have advised against or turned down and which were also turned down by my predecessor. They are always pleased when I overturn that advice. I have done that for Members of both Houses and given advantages to political parties, groups and individuals that other Ministers have turned down. They like it when I take such action, but they are not too pleased on other occasions. Members can refrain from applauding me for doing things that way because I cannot take much more.
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