I echo all the Ceann Comhairle's comments in relation to the staff and the good wishes.

I want to return to the appointment of Mr. Justice Séamus Woulfe. The revelations this morning in The Irish Times are, indeed, shocking. They are shocking for this reason. The Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, informed us in the Dáil on 26 November that she got the memorandum on 6 July. The Minister stated:

What I did, therefore, was not bring it [to Cabinet] immediately, even though I had been told that this was urgent. I took time to look at the JAAB recommendation, and it is a recommendation because it states that in the letter and in the relevant section of the legislation referring to JAAB. I looked at all the names that had come through the expressions of interest process, and then there was obviously a list of sitting judges. They had not expressed an interest, however, so that was something which is looked at last. Following that process, I spoke to all the leaders, as I have outlined in the timeframe, and, based on their responses, I made a recommendation. It is a very clear process.

That is a clear process that the Minister outlined but what the Minister failed to outline is that she looked at the recommendation. The Minister looked at the list, a list that came through JAAB which had-----

I thank the Deputy. The time is up.

-----Mr. Séamus Woulfe on it, five other judges on a separate list and pages of other lists, and within minutes she decided, and the only person she consulted, or spoke to, before that was the Tánaiste-----

I thank the Deputy.

-----who told her that the person she appointed would make a fine judge.

The point is made.

Is it not the case that the Minister needs to clarify the position that she explained to the Dáil here?

I hope somebody will get the Deputy a stopwatch for Christmas.

None of this relates to promised legislation. The Deputy is missing out on one key detail. That appointment was not brought to the Cabinet on 6 July.

She attempted to.

The appointment was not brought to the Cabinet on 6 July. It was not brought until several weeks later. During that time, the Minister had ample time to consider all the names and also to discuss the matter with me, the Taoiseach, the leader of the Green Party and the Attorney General, which she did.