Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have no doubt it is difficult to be on top of every issue but Deputy Ó Caoláin is the Chair of the justice committee. The Government's Bill did not did not have the Presidents of the Circuit and District Courts on the commission; we have tried to put them on it.

The Taoiseach did not address any of the issues I raised in respect of the role of the Attorney General. His comments were so outrageous that one could be forgiven for thinking that he is either deliberately trying to scupper the Bill or is displaying a serious lack of judgment, which is very concerning given the position he holds. If that was not bad enough he went on to pontificate about what the Supreme Court might do regarding the Angela Kerins case. The Attorney General works on the Executive side. He has stepped over the line relating to the separation of powers and has created a constitutional issue. In legal terms, he has scandalised the court.

The Government is a named defendant in the case of Ireland and the Attorney General v. Kerins. The Attorney General is involved in the nomination of Supreme Court judges. Should he be second-guessing their decision-making in public before the decision is made? A previous Government nearly fell over the behaviour of an Attorney General. Does the Taoiseach not think he should look for a new one? He might need to look for one himself if he does not.

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