Ross criticised for claim some judges ‘need to be reminded of oath’

Minister for Transport Shane Ross must not be allowed to tell the public on behalf of the Government that "some judges need to be reminded of their oath", the Dáil has heard.

Fianna Fáil justice spokesman Jim O’Callaghan sharply criticised the Minister and hit out at the Government for its failure to establish a judicial council, despite a pledge by the Fine Gael/Labour coalition five years ago.

The Dublin Bay South TD, criticising Mr Ross, called on Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald to "clarify for the Irish public that it is not the view of the Government that members of the judiciary need to be reminded of their oath".

Mr O’Callaghan said “they take their oath very seriously” and he claimed the “hidden message” from Mr Ross was that “we cannot trust a lot of these people and that is why we need to regulate them on a statutory basis”.

He said there was an “extraordinary spectacle” on Monday of the Minister for Transport “giving a rolling interview on the national airwaves, not in respect of CIE or Irish Rail but in respect of his call for a judicial council”.

Mr O’Callaghan said “everyone is in favour of the establishment of a judicial council yet the Minister for Transport made it sound like this was some great new reforming idea he had come up with”.

“The judges are looking for it, Fianna Fáil is looking for it and everyone in this House is looking for it,” said Mr O’Callaghan.

Ms Fitzgerald told him “I have already said I believe this country has been very well served by the judiciary and that has been recognised internationally in Greco (Group of States against Corruption) report after Greco report”.

She said: “It is my own belief and it is certainly the belief of the Government that we have been well served by the judiciary.”

Ms Fitzgerald said there clearly were developments that needed to be put in place and a central element in the programme for government “relates to reform in the appointment of judges”.

She hoped to publish legislation on judicial appointments before the end of the year and to begin debating it early next year.

Insisting the Government was committed to the Bill, she said it was delayed primarily because of other “pressing and urgent legislative requirements, some of which arose from our troika commitments” and some societal issues including the establishment of the Court of Appeal and the marriage referendum.

Work on the Bill “is very advanced”. Ms Fitzgerald said the Department of Justice was working closely with the office of the Attorney General and she had a meeting a few days ago on the drafting work.