Helen McEntee to take questions on appointment of Seamus Woulfe
File Woulfe Picture Seamus
Justice Minister Helen McEntee will take oral questions on the appointment of Supreme Court justice Seamus Woulfe, but will not undergo a questions and answers session.
Ms McEntee this evening wrote to Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail to ask him to convey to the Dáil Business Committee that she would like her next session, due to take place on December 15, to be brought forward "to a date satisfactory" to members.
Ms McEntee has come under fire in recent days over the appointment of the former Attorney General to the Supreme Court.
Both Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar have said that they did not know that three sitting judges had expressed interest in the role. Ms McEntee has maintained that the proper procedure was used, wherein only one name comes before Cabinet.
The refusal of Ms McEntee to take questions on the matter has led to some degree of frustration at Cabinet level.
Up to this afternoon, there was growing belief among ministers that Ms McEntee not taking questions was "not sustainable".
Ministers said that they now believe it would be preferable for Ms McEntee to answer the questions and move on.
In the letter, however, Ms McEntee told the Ceann Comhairle she would take oral questions, which are submitted in advance.
She said the Government was concerned that the opposition's desire that she take questions from TDs similar to the manner in which Mr Varadkar did recently, would be "inappropriate".
"I and the Government have grave concerns that the manner of Dáil debate being proposed by the Opposition on judicial appointments could generate inappropriate comment around serving judges on the floor of the House.
"However, I am also conscious of the responsibility of ministers to be accountable to the Dáil. Deputies can table parliamentary questions and oral questions to me and Government colleagues on numerous issues.
"The process of oral questions will ensure that members can raise concerns across numerous issues within the parameters of normal parliamentary procedures."
Opposition leaders reacted angrily to the method of questioning, with Labour's Alan Kelly calling it "spurious".
“This is a completely spurious suggestion from the Minister and changes nothing. It’s laughable. She has no choice but to answer her normal PQs.
“The Minister for Justice and the Government must now end this charade and agree to make a statement to the Dáil on Tuesday afternoon followed by a Q&A with opposition spokespeople.
“It is highly misleading for the Minister to present her request for the rescheduling of her standard Oral Question session which covers all matters under her brief as some kind of concession to the calls from the Labour Party for nearly a week now for her to answer specific questions in the Dáil on the Supreme Court appointment process.”
Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald said it was "wagon circling".
"Government is still circling the wagons. Their 'grave concern' is a self-serving desire to avoid accountability. A full statement from the Minister followed by questions is what is required. Nothing short of this will suffice."