The Irish Secret Service had been dubbed one of the great oxymorons of our time, the Minister of State for Health and Children told the House. Ms Mary Hanafin said she had been advised that its activities were not made known.
She was responding to Mr Joe Costello (Lab), who, in the debate on the Appropriation Bill, said he would love to know what the Secret Service did. "As a previous senator said, is it not a contradiction in terms that there is such a thing as an Irish Secret Service? I'd imagine, Minister, you would have heard what the Secret Service does for this three quarters of a million pounds that it spends."