Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said the Government will not seek to remove Seamus Woulfe from the Supreme Court over the golf-gate scandal.
Mr Martin made a statement in the Dail prior to Leaders’ Questions on Tuesday stating the independence and integrity of the judiciary is of “paramount importance”.
He said: “The Government believes the constitutional protection of the judiciary is best achieved in this particular case, by taking no further steps in this matter.
“The Government notes the informal process, which was both transparent and comprehensive conducted by the judiciary, to address the legitimate concerns arising from Mr Justice Woulfe’s attendance at the Oireachtas golf dinner in Clifton.
“The Government notes the important distinction between a resignation and the deliberately high constitutional standard of removal for stated misbehaviour.”
His statement follows a meeting with all party leaders last Friday over what move the Government can take next.
Former chief justice Susan Denham, who carried out a review on request by the Supreme Court, found that Mr Woulfe should not have attended the controversial dinner but said calls for his resignation would be “unjust”.
But Chief Justice Frank Clarke in a letter told Mr Woulfe to resign.
Correspondence between the two men was made public by the chief justice earlier this month, a move that deepened the crisis engulfing the Supreme Court.
With the chief justice powerless to remove Mr Justice Woulfe from his position, the focus had shifted to the Oireachtas and whether politicians would pursue impeachment proceedings against the judge.
Labour leader Alan Kelly said the Taoiseach’s statement in the Dáil had taken him by surprise.
He said this was not supposed to be “a government versus Opposition” issue.
He added it would have been “polite and appropriate” for him to ask all leaders to come together and discuss it again.
Mr Kelly said the separation of powers argument was being “misused” by the Government.
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said that the Chief Justice expressing no confidence in a member of the bench is “problematic.”
Separately in the Dail, Opposition parties have called for Justice Minister Helen McEntee to face questioning over the appointment of Mr Woulfe after it emerged three other judges expressed interest in the job.
Ms McEntee only brought Mr Woulfe’s name to Cabinet in July when the decision was taken to nominate him for the Supreme Court.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said he was not told that other judges had applied.
But normal practice in relation to judicial appointments sees only one name brought to Cabinet by the Minister.
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