I have no particular difficulty giving the Deputy all that information if he so wishes. I am prepared to provide him with a list of the representations in question, including the names of the representative bodies and the public representatives who made them, but subject to the normal restrictions that apply to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act in regard to releasing the names of private individuals. I can give examples of some of the representations I received. They include representations from the chairman of the Labour Court, ICTU, the Gaelic Players Association, Ministers, Deputies, Departments, the ASTI, etc. I can give the Deputy a list in that regard. I also received representations on the floor of the House on Committee Stage relating to the date of the planning applications for some of the tax incentive schemes, which I responded to on Report Stage. There is no mystery about this and the Deputy is free to get all the information he so wishes. However, I flatly reject any charge of favouritism in respect of any particular group which may wish to make representations to me or to the tax officials in my Department.
As the Deputy will be aware, every citizen has a right to contact his or her public representative or officeholder to make representations on his or her own behalf or on behalf of others. I regard this right as sacrosanct and I will not do anything that might impede or discourage people from doing so. To do so would render the political process irrelevant to the needs of ordinary citizens and put all of us out of touch with the wishes of the electorate.
I want to make it clear that, either through their public representative or to me directly, either inside or outside the House, everybody is free to make representations to me at any time. During my years as Minister for Finance I have received some ideas in the most unusual places and have incorporated them into legislation. Many of the measures in the Finance Bill are my own ideas and the Deputy will not see representations from anybody about them. I can point out many of them over the past seven years. I want to make it clear that for as long as I am Minister for Finance, people are free to make representations to me in whatever way they think fit, either by phoning me, meeting me at football matches, race meetings or pitch and toss banks.