The Minister for Justice has given the Information Commissioner the parliamentary equivalent of the "belt of the crozier" because he "dared to challenge" the Government view, according to the Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny .
Minister McDowell had accused the Commissioner, Mr Kevin Murphy, of overstepping his powers by warning of flaws in the amendments to the Freedom of Information Act, currently going through the Seanad.
Mr Kenny said the Minister's "fury" at the leaking of the revelatory report on penalty points, soon stretched to "a man whose probity, whose impartiality, whose eminence have always been beyond reproach. But he dared to challenge." The changes were being brought to "save the Government's blushes. The postman always rings twice and events like the Abbotstown fiascos would be landing bang on their doorstep." The Fine Gael leader was speaking during the final day's debate on the Labour Party Private Members' Bill to leave the current Act as it stands for another year, pending a full consultation process.
The Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, pointed out that not one single Government TD criticised the Labour Bill to "freeze-frame" the current Freedom of Information Act.
Winding up the debate on the Bill, he said the Minister for Justice had found it "confusing and complex", but it was a very simple Bill. The past may be a foreign country but for the Government parties the past is a "very comfortable country indeed", where they favoured Government secrecy.
The "fundamental issue" about the Act was that there had to be "candour of discussion" in Government, according to Minister of State, Mr Brian Lenihan.
The Bill was defeated by 61 votes to 51 votes.
