Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The other point is that he has on many occasions suggested that the appointment of judges is a matter of political cronyism. I held the position of Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform from 2002 to 2007 and the late Rory Brady was the Attorney General at the time. I am absolutely satisfied that if one looks at the appointments we made to the superior courts of Ireland, the great majority of them were not supporters of either of the Government parties.It is about time that the Houses of the Oireachtas showed that a Minister who is not doing his job, and who is failing badly to carry out his functions by leaving semi-State boards without appointees because of his own inadequacy and weakness, allows the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Attorney General to be the point of contact with the Judiciary. The suggestions in the kind of disgraceful article that is in The Irish Timestoday, talking about the Chief Justice being first out of the traps to rubbish the Minister's views, are completely untrue, and to call intemperate the remarks of the President of the Circuit Court, who appealed recently for vacancies in his court to be filled in order that he could carry out the laws which these Houses put in place, is a cheek on the part of the Minister, Deputy Ross. I ask that the Taoiseach or the Tánaiste would come to the House to tell us when they will muzzle their dog.