Shane Ross (Independent)

I endorse what Senators Ryan and O'Toole have just said regarding the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. It is important that a message goes out from this House that we are not an instrument of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform but that it is an instrument of this House. It has been known for many years that the Department has a Kremlinesque attitude to disseminating information, is a fortress in terms of its own empire and regards democracy as something of a nuisance in the promotion of its objectives. We ought to send out that message and, if the Leader of the House is being abused in this way by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, we should say that we will not put up with it.

On a more specific level, some months ago in this House Senator O'Toole and I had a motion agreed by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, which agreed to set up a review of auctioneering. I will not speak on the substantive issue but point out that the review has not taken place. The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has simply ignored what it agreed to in this House. I ask the Leader to ask the Minister or Minster of State at the Department to report back to this House about what is happening in regard to that review.