Heated debate on FoI Bill move

A Government decision to guillotine the committee stage of the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill led to heated exchanges with the Opposition.

The Tánaiste, Ms Harney, defending the decision, said that there had already been 15 hours of debate at committee stage and the order proposed by the Government provided for a further eight hours. "The Government believes that is more than adequate," she said.

The House's Finance Committee will conclude consideration of the committee stage of the Bill today. The final stages are expected to be taken by the House in plenary session next week.

The Fine Gael spokesman on finance, Mr Richard Bruton, said the Opposition would not facilitate the guillotining or ramming through of a Bill which was designed to assist Ministers in running away from their legal responsibilities, under the existing Act, to be accountable for their decisions.

The Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, said the legislation ring-fenced the Government from scrutiny or any probing of the manner of the making of decisions. Mr Dan Boyle (Green Party, Cork South Central) said his party would not co-operate with a Government which was prepared to ride roughshod over parliamentary procedures.

Mr Caoimhghin Ó Caoláin (SF, Cavan-Monaghan) said it was imperative that the committee was allowed to carry out its full work and had adequate time to go through the detail of "this so-called amending legislation" so that the public interest was served. The Government's proposal to guillotine the Bill at committee stage was passed by 79 votes to 52.