Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is not agreed. The Taoiseach spoke of the separation of powers being precious in our democracy. I want him to reflect on the fact that we are talking about the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, the court whose judges interpret the people's Constitution and protect the people by assessing legislation and dealing with cases. It does not get more important than that. Therefore, the process of appointment to that court could not be any more important to our democracy. We know that at least three judges, we assume of the High Court or Court of Appeal, eminently qualified people, expressed an interest in sitting in the highest court in the land. The Taoiseach referred to the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board, which assesses if somebody is qualified to be considered.

There can be a shortlist of seven at the most but the board does not make the decision or the recommendation.

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