Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

The Chief Justice asked the Minister to only fill one particular role on the court. Is that correct? Given that there are thousands of cases in the system, increasing by the year, and that the courts system is underpowered as regards judges, it is very hard to understand why, with multiple applicants and access to different lists, the Minister would not fill more than one position on the Supreme Court. The view of people around the country is that since we have a rotating Taoiseach, we will also have rotating nominations to the Supreme Court. Can the Minister give a good reason people would be wrong about that?

I was asked to fill one position. I have filled that position. There is currently a vacancy and if the Chief Justice asks me to fill that vacancy I certainly will. Regarding any other vacancies that have arisen since then in the District Court, High Court, Court of Appeal and the Circuit Court, when I have been asked by the Presidents of those courts, I have filled them. If I am asked to fill this vacancy, I will. What I do not believe is that we should choose judges based on their ideology or decisions they have taken. I certainly do not think we have a situation, unlike that which we might have seen in the US, where elections hinge on who gets to pick the next Supreme Court. I do not think that is a route by which we should go, nor do we.

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