Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

A Cheann Comhairle, last Friday I emailed you and the Business Committee requesting that time be put aside for the Minister for Justice to come to the House to answer questions on the appointment to the Supreme Court of Mr. Justice Séamus Woulfe. I did not receive a reply over the weekend and I sent a further email yesterday lunchtime. This call was supported by Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats and the Rural Independent Group, and yet we received no reply formally or informally to the request. I do not take to my feet very often on the Order of Business and I do not make idle requests of this House. The matter has reached a threshold of importance where I believe the vast majority of Members on the Opposition feel that the Minister needs to come to the House. The only reply we got was a revised schedule sent around yesterday evening. Not only was the request denied, the manner in which the request was made was disrespected. For that alone the Labour Party cannot agree to the Order of Business as proposed for Tuesday. Again we make the request that the Minister for Justice comes to the House at some point this week to answer these questions.

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