Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

205. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress that has been made on the public consultation on the appointment of judges; if she will arrange for submissions to be published on her Department’s website; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31867/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Deputy will be aware that I am overseeing a consultation process on the system of judicial appointments with the intention of instituting reforms to enhance the current system. The Department received a significant amount of material earlier this year as part of the process with views ranging across a significant number of different aspects of the eligibility provisions and the arrangements for appointing judges.

A report on the outcome of the consultations signalling key emerging issues and options for legislative reform is at an advanced stage of preparation in the Department. It is inevitable that this report will become the focus of a further consultative process with all relevant stakeholders. It can be anticipated that this process will take place in the second half of this year and that a resulting outline of legislative proposals will subsequently be prepared.

The matter of the publication of submissions is under consideration and I understand that some contributors have made their own arrangements to make their own submissions available.