The Justice Minister is to come before the Dáil to answer questions on the appointment of Supreme Court Justice Séamus Woulfe.

It comes after opposition parties pulled out of the Dáil Business Committee in protest Helen McEntee’s failure to answer Dáil questions on the appointment.

Meanwhile, Government ministers had begun to question what the issue with scheduling the debate was.

Dáil statement

Shortly before lunchtime today, the Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed that there would be a debate tomorrow if the business committee will re-convene.

“What I want to say is that,” he said. “I think the Business Committee should reconvene. Minister McEntee is prepared to come into the house tomorrow afternoon to make a statement and answer questions on this as well.

“I would suggest that the Business Committee would meet and go through the format of that and work it out.”

It follows weeks of controversy over the process for the appointment of Mr Justice Woulfe – who served as Attorney General for the Fine Gael minority Government.

Appointment

In the Dáil yesterday, Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín questioned whether he had been appointed as part of political horse-trading during formation talks for the current Government.

Mr Martin has completely rejected the idea there was political interference in the process.

Speaking this morning, the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the controversy was about attacking Minister McEntee rather than concerns over the appointment itself.

“Helen McEntee answering questions on this is not going to end it,” he said.

“This is a political attack by the opposition on the Government. They are trying to undermine the Government; they are undermining Minister McEntee and they are undermining the judiciary.

“No matter what she says, they are not going to be happy.”

Phil Hogan (left) and Seamus Woulfe attend the funeral of Peter Sutherland at the Church of the Sacred Heart, Donnybrook Dublin, 11-01-2018. Image: Niall Carson/PA Archive/PA Images

Privately, some of Minister Varadkar's own Ministers have been why Minister McEntee was not taking Dáil questions on the issue.

One Minister said the whole thing has been handled oddly and badly - while a number of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil TDs are wondering if there is more to the story.

One backbencher noted that, if it was a Fianna Fáil minister, they would have already appeared before the Dáil or even been sacked.

A spokesperson for Minister McEntee earlier said she was happy to take questions in the Parliamentary Question format and pointed out that she has done several interviews and a press conference in the last few days.

The Business Committee is now expected to set aside time for questions tomorrow.