Sinn Féin: Judge Woulfe's position is untenable

Sinn Féin TD Martin Kenny: It's very clear the judiciary doesn't believe his position is tenable

Seamus Woulfe's position is now untenable, members of the opposition have claimed.

It comes after the judge, who was among those who attended the 'golfgate' event, was told by Chief Justice Frank Clarke that he should resign, but he is refusing to do so.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe described the latest controversy as a "very very serious matter", but said the Government has asked the Attorney General to look at the matter before it makes any comment.

Sinn Féin's justice spokesperson Martin Kenny called on the Justice Minister Helen McEntee to come before the Dáil when the advice of the AG is received.

Mr Kenny said: "Any of us that read the correspondence between the chief justice and Justice Woulfe, it's very clear the judiciary doesn't believe his position is tenable and that's really where all of this is coming from.

"We have to be careful with how we proceed here but at the same time we have to be firm, there has to be accountability."

He also hit out at the lack of progress on the Judicial Council Act which he said means that "we have a huge problem with the judiciary and how it is held to account".

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy said Judge Woulfe had displayed an incredible lack of judgement for a Supreme Court judge.

He has lost, obviously, the confidence of his whole colleagues on the Supreme Court. It is really for himself to consider that.

However, she added: “An impeachment process is being talked about but we really have no basis for knowing how that would play out."

Labour's Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said politicians must now "take a breath" and wait for advice from the Attorney General.

"We are in unchartered waters, this has not happened before, but we have to be careful what we say now. There could be another case in five or 10 years time, we don't know. So if you are serious about the Constitution, you are serious about your role in politics then what you say and the judgements you make obviously are going to have an impact."

Meanwhile, former minister Shane Ross has said Judge Woulfe should resign from the Supreme Court.

"It's utterly unprecedented that judges should be at war with each other in this very, very public way and that's what's happening," he said.