Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I understand the Minister could not guarantee that the Government would provide time to debate the Bill. If the Bill had been withdrawn it would have to go back into the lottery and God knows if it would ever have reappeared for debate.

The system of judicial appointments must be reviewed. A number of speakers referred to the fact that the Judicial Appointments Review Committee said the system of judicial appointments in Ireland is demonstrably deficient. That says a lot. They said the system must be reformed so as to secure the selection of the very best candidates and contribute to the administration of justice in a manner that will sustain and enhance public confidence.

It has been outlined by judges that there is a real risk that the best candidates will not be selected because they are not affiliated politically. That is the approach the Bill seeks to change. The political system that Fine Gael, Labour, Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats - when the party existed – are embedded in does not want such a change because they want to maintain a system of patronage. When one examines the appointment of judges one see former chairpersons of cumanns, former town council mayors, former Deputies, former councillors and the children of former Deputies and councillors. One sees exactly how someone gets to be appointed as a judge in this country.

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