The government’s nomination of Attorney General Máire Whelan as a Court of Appeal judge smacks of hypocrisy and cronyism, according to the Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall TD.
Deputy Shortall said:
“This naked political appointment is the height of hypocrisy from a government that is supposed to be introducing a law to take politics out of the appointment of judges. It is as far as you can possibly get from the government’s pledge to make judicial appointments transparent, fair and credible.
“It makes a mockery of talk of reform and shows that the government does not believe in its own hype when it comes to ridding cronyism from the judicial system. I want to know whether this appointment was agreed by Minister Shane Ross who has been pushing for the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill.
“Today we also saw Minister Simon Coveney make fresh appointments to the board of An Bord Pleanála. People will be rightly to outraged by these moves and must be asking what other cosy arrangements have been made by the members of this government on their last day office?
ENDS
13 June 2017