‘Almighty dust-up’ over three judicial appointments

Three judicial appointments were only approved by Cabinet yesterday following “an almighty dust-up” between Fine Gael and Independent Alliance ministers, the Irish Examiner can reveal.

The appointments — one to the High Court and two at district court level — had been delayed for three weeks amid growing tensions within Government over the lack of progress in the passage of the Judicial Appointments Bill.

While the Independent Alliance had no issue with the new judges appointed, members are irate at the continuing delays in the passage of the bill, which has been in progress since 2016.