Supreme Court judge Seamus Woulfe has been asked to resign but is refusing to do so, it was revealed last night.
The Taoiseach is considering the State’s next move over what to do with the Golfgate judge as a constitutional stand-off looms.
Micheal Martin has asked the Attorney General Paul Gallagher for advice after Mr Woulfe’s shock refusal to resign when asked by fellow judges and Chief Justice,Frank Clarke.
A spokeswoman for the Taoiseach said: “The Attorney General has been asked to advise the Taoiseach and Government on the matter.
“It would be inappropriate to make any further comment at this stage.”
Government members are in a spin after it came out the Chief Justice was calling for Mr Woulfe’s head and he was resisting.
Instead, he has offered to give up a month’s salary, which has been rejected by the Chief Justice.
Justice Clarke has responded by letting Mr Woulfe know he won’t be allowing him sit as a judge until at least February.
And he has called on him to forego his salary for this period when he won’t be doing his main job.
Mr Woulfe is the most recently appointed judge of the Supreme Court having served in the last Government term as Attorney General.
But his reputation was tarnished after it was revealed he was one of the 81 attendees at the infamous Oireachtas golf society dinner in Clifden, Co Galway, in August.
His fellow judges are not happy with his response and Mr Clarke wrote to him last Thursday in letters which have now been published.
Mr Clarke wrote: “It is my view, and the unanimous view of all of the members of the court (including the ex-officio members), that the cumulative effect of all of these matters has been to cause a very significant and irreparable damage both to the court and to the relationship within the court which is essential to the proper functioning of a collegiate court.
“It is not part of my role to ask, let alone tell, you to resign.
“Resignation is and can only be for the judge him or herself.
“Regrettably, however, I believe that I should make clear my personal opinion that, to avoid continuing serious damage to the judiciary, you should resign.”
Mr Woulfe issued a very lengthy response dated November 9 where he defended his position.
He said: “I have come to the conclusion that I should not resign.”
