Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The Minister was speaking on behalf of the Government. It was not the first time this happened but on this occasion an unwarranted attack was made on the entire Judiciary as an institution. While people may well criticise individual members of the Judiciary, they are appointed to be independent and objective in their analysis. In the case arising from the tribunal, it is possible to have tribunal reports adjusted or corrected by the courts. That demonstrates that the intended impact of these attacks is unjustified in the sense that one cannot say that all the members of the Judiciary as an institution share the same mentality. There are plenty of examples of tribunal reports being corrected by order of another court. While a tribunal is not a court, courts have adjusted or corrected other reports by judges. Deputy Shatter was speaking on behalf of the Government in condemning and deploring unwarranted and unjustified attacks on members of the Judiciary and the Judiciary as an institution. It is simply not good enough.

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