Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I will go down in history as being the only Minister on whom the Data Protection Commissioner served a 20-day notice because I was giving too much information under freedom of information legislation in my Department. The media and the Labour Party never highlight that. When I was Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources I provided too much information on freedom of information requests on the departmental website. Certain journalists and others, including the freedom of information commissioner, found fault with the fact that I was presenting too much information. Subsequently, I was served with a 20-day notice by the Data Protection Commissioner and ultimately a settlement was agreed. The notice would have taken me as Minister to the Circuit Court on the basis that I was infringing data protection legislation because I was providing too much information under freedom of information legislation. I disagree with any suggestion that I or this Government are interested in curtailing freedom of information but people conveniently forget some of the facts even though they know them well.