McEntee to appear before Dáil on Seamus Woulfe issue

A two-hour question and answer session with Justice Minister Helen McEntee on the Woulfe issue will go ahead in the Dáil. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

A two-hour question and answer session with Justice Minister Helen McEntee on the Woulfe issue will go ahead in the Dáil today.

TDs on Wednesday night voted in favour of holding the special session after weeks of debate and Opposition calls on the minister to attend the Dáil.

However, a vote at the Business Committee resulted in a tie with five members in favour of holding the debate and five against. 

Independent TD Thomas Pringle was not present for the vote on Wednesday evening and the Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl refused to cast the deciding vote.

Under the proposed plan, Ms McEntee will make a 10-minute statement on the matter, before each Opposition group has 10 minutes to make statements and then a further five minutes each for questions. 

Ms McEntee will bring the two-hour session to a close with a five-minute summation.

Unhappiness with the format of the debate

A number of members of the Opposition continued to voice unhappiness with the format of the debate in the Dáil on Wednesday night. Chief Whip Jack Chambers said the debate would follow the same format as a session in 2017 when there was a discussion on Maire Whelan's appointment to the Court of Appeal.

However, TDs eventually voted 88 in favour and 63 against the proposal to bring the minister before the Dáil.

Earlier, Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Dáil that the Opposition's withdrawal from the Business Committee was "disproportionate" and said that Ms McEntee would come to the Dáil as early as today to answer questions. He said the Business Committee should come together to discuss the format of such questioning.

The Opposition parties on Tuesday withdrew from the committee due to the ongoing refusal of the minister to come before the House to answer questions. Mr Martin said Ms McEntee was "anxious" to answer queries on Séamus Woulfe's appointment.

"She said that last Thursday evening," said Mr Martin. "The Opposition opposed that and any facilitation of that. That was due to happen next Tuesday. 

"The Opposition opposed it because of the format of how the questions would be asked. I believe withdrawing from the Business Committee based on the format of how questions are asked is wholly disproportionate. 

"That is a reform that I championed. I believe in the Business Committee and I support its continuation. The Ceann Comhairle has legal advice about the parameters and nature of what can be asked. 

"He is clear that questions must be on process and not commentary on the suitability of candidates or criteria, which some deputies asked me about earlier. She wants to deal with this."

Labour leader Alan Kelly said the Taoiseach had refused to answer questions on the issue but said the Opposition would keep it on the agenda "slice by slice".

The Taoiseach accused him of being "melodramatic" and said "no impression of John Wayne would impress" him.

Mr Kelly has since written a letter to the Ceann Comhairle to make a formal complaint. The seven-page letter argues that several written Dáil questions to both Mr Martin and Ms McEntee have not been fully answered per Dáil rules. 

Mr Kelly has asked the Ceann Comhairle to use Dáil standing orders to compel both to answer the questions.

Earlier, the Oireachtas Justice Committee released a statement rebuking Government claims that Ms McEntee "answered questions" on Mr Woulfe's appointment when she appeared before it.