The Labour Party has accused the Minister for Justice of trying to give himself the 'most sweeping and illiberal powers' in one of the new amendments to the Garda Bill.
The proposal will require the Gardaí to hand over to the Minister any document in their power that is requested from them.
Labour leader Pat Rabbitte this afternoon claimed that this will give the Minister and his successors access to files on themselves, and on their personal or political friends and enemies.
Deputy Rabbitte claimed that this would give the Minister powers which, far from helping to secure democratic accountability, will make him and his successors one of the chief threats to democracy in the State.
The Department of Justice, & Law Reform has confirmed that the Government has tabled over a hundred amendments to its own Garda Bill currently in its final stages in the Dáil.
A spokeswoman told RTÉ the total figure was now 112, many of which she said took on board issues raised during earlier stages of the debate.
The Garda Bill is due to be guillotined in the Dáil tomorrow in the face of strenuous objections from the oppostion parties.
