Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

When I came into the Department on 28 June, I received my briefings, which stated that there was a vacancy and that the Chief Justice had asked for it to be filled immediately. I said in my statement that because lists had been reduced in the Supreme Court, there was a tradition that not all of those positions would be filled. When this one needed to be filled, which was before I came into the Department, the Chief Justice wrote to the then Minister, Deputy Flanagan, to say he wanted it to be filled. It has been made clear that it was not filled because we had an interim Government, as well as because of Covid and everything else. It was then dealt with immediately when I was appointed.

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