Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

This is utterly wasteful and pointless. I have made the case about sitting judges, although the Minister will not accept it. Since all High Court judges are ex officiocapable of functioning on the Court of Appeal and in the Supreme Court as ordinary judges, they have already passed a threshold of suitability. This idea of requiring judges to submit applications at all is wholly wrong. If we are to have a system that requires judges to submit applications to this commission and to be evaluated by the commission for appointments to other positions in the courts, then it seems to me those who are short-listed should at least be given a bye and stand recommended until the Government decides otherwise. I cannot see why the Government should effectively be asked to ignore the last recommendation when, within a short period, a second vacancy in the same court comes along. That is wrong.