Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

We have two fairly immovable objects here confronting one another. I ask the Minister to think about where we are going here. This Bill is not going to fundamentally change the way we appoint judges because, as the Minister has admitted himself, the Constitution cannot be trumped by the Bill. I do not know why we are pushing the legislation through if we really wanted to change the appointment system for judges. I should say that I am fully supportive of the notion that we should review how we appoint judges. I am fully supportive of the efforts by the Minister to change the appointments system for the Judiciary but this Bill is not going to do that for him.

I will be surprised if the President signs this Bill into law. I really will. We will have, I am told today, 66 hours of debate so far in this House. The one thing I will say about the Minister is that I admire his dedication. I admire the way he comes in here every day this debate is on and he sits there and responds. In fairness to him, he is fighting for the Bill. I am not so sure that any of us have faith in the Bill but he is fighting for it.