Justice Minister hits back over impeachment

Minister for Justice , John O'Donoghue, has hit back at the opposition in the row for plans for a referendum on judicial accountability.

In June the public will be asked to vote to alter the constitution to refine the method for impeaching judges.

Fine Gael and Labour are opposing plans for different reasons.

Minister O'Donoghue has said that it is ironic that Labour is opposing the provision that will only allow impeachment after a Dail vote after a two-thirds majority.

"It is ironic that the third-largest party in the State is objecting to a proposal by the Government to have a two-thirds majority to have a judge removed, when effectively it means that the only party in the state which is capable of getting an overall majority, Fianna Fail, is proposing that minority parties in the Dail have a veto over the removal of a judge. And the reason we are doing that is to ensure that the independece and the integrity of the judiciary is maintained."