Taoiseach and Shane Ross clash on Máire Whelan appointment

The Taoiseach and Shane Ross have clashed over the controversial appointment of Máire Whelan to the Court of Appeal as the Government comes under pressure to restart the process.

Just three days into his leadership, Leo Varadkar has found himself at loggerheads with his Independent Alliance partners after Mr Ross, the Transport Minister, called for a review of the appointment.

However, a number of Fine Gael backbenchers hit out at Mr Ross, claiming that he was simply “looking for headlines” and should have raised any concerns at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, before he voted in favour of the appointment and not days later.