Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would not wish to give any Member of the House a history lesson but going back over several decades, referenced in academic sources, the practice has been that the Minister for Justice, in consultation with the Taoiseach, brings a name to Cabinet for nomination. It has always been the case that the personal privacy of applicants, for obvious professional reasons as well as, dare I say, commercial reasons, is maintained. I am not going to depart from that practice now. This approach is essential to the maintenance of the independence of our Judiciary, which is highly valued, not just by me but all members of this committee, in the context of the separation of powers and our democratic institutions under law.