David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not agree with the amendment. The explanation offered by the Senator concerning the former Minister, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, relates directly to the point I made on Second Stage. This overuse of FOI legislation means that no records are kept of discussions at the Cabinet and elsewhere which are held privately, off the record and lead to critical decisions being made because Ministers do not want to be accessible under FOI legislation. They wish their discussions to be covered by confidentiality. The Government is there to govern, not to constantly look over its shoulder to see what the public or, more likely, representatives of the media are trying to trawl through. I would be very careful and have hesitations about the Bill, for which support is not unanimous, as Senator Ivana Bacik implied. I have strong reservations about the extension of freedom of information provisions.