Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

And queried, perhaps. I stated that the process in this regard would take two or three months. Senator Craughwell believes it will take four months. Whichever of us is correct, nobody is stating that it will be concluded in six weeks and or two months. Nobody is saying that the timeframe will be anything of that nature. Whatever way the Minister sees this sequence of appointments, it is clear that it is more likely than not to occur, based on the pattern of appointments made by this and previous Governments. It is not fanciful or unlikely that there will be sequential appointments. It has not been the case under the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board system, in cases where it is creating a vacancy by virtue of its own decision, that the Government has to resort to advertising a position when it has a different candidate in mind or whatever.

It is a bit irritating for the Minister to stated that I am overdramatising the situation. The scenario I have painted, be it in respect of two or three consequential appointments, is, first, quite likely to occur and, second, will, on the basis of any rational view and depending on whether Senator Craughwell's opinion is correct, result in a delay of six to 12 months.

As I have indicated, the problem is that we are not getting a fully honest statement of how this Bill will work in practice. I am not accusing the Minister of dishonesty, but we are not getting a full frank indication of how it will work.