Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach's line of defence is that he could not have done anything improper since he did not know what was going on. He did not know who the contenders were and he did not seek to find out. The Minister for Justice is left having to claim to be, as far as I can determine, the first Minister for Justice in history to determine personally a Supreme Court nomination without reference to the Taoiseach in a coalition Government. Is that the Minister's position?

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