Following the announcement of Deputy Declan Costello's resignation of membership of Dáil Éireann, I should like to add for the information of the House that, on the advice of the Government, he will today be appointed by the President to be a Judge of the High Court. I have nominated Deputy John Kelly for appointment by the President as Attorney General in succession to Mr. Costello. Deputy Kelly will not engage in private practice while holding that office.
Appointment of Attorney General.
Who will be Parliamentary Secretary to the Taoiseach?
There is no appointment for the present.
Is it proposed to make an appointment?
Not immediately.
Is there any precedent for a Member of the Government benches being appointed directly to the High Court? Does the Taoiseach not realise that, taking that in conjunction with the appointment of an Attorney General who has not practised, only for a matter of years, very few years, over 20 years ago, the Taoiseach is setting some very undesirable precedents? There is no precedent for what is being done in this House today, not even for one of them, never mind the two together.
I do not think this arises, but from recollection I imagine that many years ago the then Attorney General, who was a Member of Dáil Éireann, was appointed to be President of the High Court direct from this House. That was probably before the Deputy's time.
From the Government?
From the Fianna Fáil benches. He was a Fianna Fáil Deputy.
The culmination of four years of patronage.
Order. We shall now resume on the Prisons Bill.