[ad_1]
Opposition parties and several independents have indicated that they will not support a motion before the Dáil to remove Seamus Woulfe from the Supreme Court.
The motion, presented by Paul Murphy of RISE and People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith, must be filed before the Dail on Wednesday or Thursday of this week. Both must meet with Ceann Comhairle to decide when TDs can vote on the motion.
There will be no debate before this vote. Instead, if approved, the debate will be postponed and a Select Committee will be appointed to gather evidence before returning home.
Sinn Féin, the largest opposition party with 37 TDs, said it will examine the motion, but at this time it does not “see any credible grounds for impeachment,” according to a spokesperson.
The Social Democrats and their six TDs said they will not support the motion.
The Labor Party has not yet spoken. His six TDs will vote on the issue at the Parliamentary Party meeting tomorrow night.
Denis Naughten of the Independent Regional Group said he has not yet taken a position. However, as things stand, he is not likely to support the motion.
Rep. Naughten said he is awaiting the publication of the full correspondence between Justice Woulfe and the Chief Justice.
The Independent Regional Group will meet on Wednesday and discuss the motion. There is no obligation for the nine DTs in the group to vote in the same way.
Read more politics stories
Michael Collins and Mattie McGrath, members of the Independent Rural Group, said they will not support the motion and hope that other group members will take a similar position.
However, Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae said he has yet to make a decision.
Peadar Tóibín de Aontú said he is not likely to support the motion, but that the matter would be discussed at a party meeting. He said that he had serious concerns regarding the selection of judges, but that this was not the way to address the issue.
Supporters of the motion so far include independent TD Joan Collins, Solidarity’s Mick Barry, as well as People Before Profit’s Richard Boyd-Barrett and Gino Kenny.
Last week, the Taoiseach told the Dáil that the government will not take any further action to remove Seamus Woulfe from the Supreme Court.
The motion filed by Mr. Murphy and Ms. Smith calls for the removal of Seamus Woulfe from the Supreme Court for “outright misconduct” regarding his attendance at the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner in Clifden on August 19, this year.
He claims that his assistance undermined “the public health effort during a pandemic” and thus made it unsuitable to “serve as a Supreme Court judge.”
It is noted in the motion that Mr. Woulfe attended the event which was attended by more than 80 people, despite the fact that public health regulations at the time made it a crime to organize an indoor social gathering of more than 50 people.
During dinner, 45 people were seated in one room, with a division separating them from the 36 people in another room.
[ad_2]