Ross’s views on judicial appointments ‘ignorant and crass’, says McDowell

Independent Senator Michael McDowell has described Minister Shane Ross’s views on judicial appointments as “ignorant and crass’’.

Mr McDowell, a barrister and former minister for justice, said the Seanad should know Mr Ross had proposed in 2013 that Oireachtas committees should nominate people to be judges.

Mr McDowell said consideration should be given to inviting Taoiseach Enda Kenny or Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald to the House to explain how Mr Ross was permitted to write newspaper articles, "so charged with inaccuracy and misleading content as he has done in The Irish Times today''.

Mr McDowell said the Minister had yet again suggested that, somehow, the judiciary was against reform.

“That flies in the face of the fact that the current Chief Justice authored the Bill which provided for a judicial council to be established,’’ he added.

"It also flies in the face of the fact that members of the judiciary have, on many occasions, asked for reforms to the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board and that has not been granted.''

Mr McDowell said this was serious because Mr Ross was Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.

"With the buses about to evaporate across Ireland and with train lines being closed down, not to mention some of the sporting debacles in Brazil, it seems the Minister is finding it very difficult to discharge his own functions,'' he added.

He said it also appeared Mr Ross could not make appointments in his department to State boards.