LAST UPDATE | 6 Jul

SINN FÉIN TD Pa Daly’s case against the Taoiseach regarding the appointment of the controversial ‘Super Junior’ Ministers will go to full hearing tomorrow morning at the High Court. 

In February, the case appeared before court for a hearing. Daly is asking the court to declare that the attendance of the super juniors at government meetings is unconstitutional.

The super junior ministers appointed include Fine Gael’s Hildegarde Naughton, as well as Independents Sean Canney and Noel Grealish. Fianna Fáil’s chief whip Mary Butler is also a minister of state attending Cabinet.

Attorney General Rossa Fanning represented all of the respondents – himself, the Taoiseach and the Government – in the hearing in court in February.

Speaking today, Daly said that the case challenges what he believes “is a deeply problematic and unconstitutional practice that has taken root in recent decades – the attendance and participation of so-called ‘Super Junior’ Ministers at meetings of the Government”.

He said that the case was as a constitutional challenge aimed at protecting the integrity of Ireland’s system of government – “which Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Lowry-Led Independents are playing fast and loose”.

There is a constitutional limit of 15 members of Cabinet. Daly is arguing that the four super junior ministers who also sit at Cabinet is unconstitutional. 

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and TD Pearse Doherty are expected to speak to the media outside the High Court tomorrow morning before the hearing begins.

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy will also be in the High Court tomorrow for the start of a week of two court cases to have the super junior Ministers’ attendance at Cabinet declared unconstitutional.

Daly’s case tomorrow will followed directly by Murphy’s Plenary action on Wednesday, seeking an injunction to restrain the super junior Ministers from attending Cabinet.

Both Daly’s and Murphy’s cases should be concluded by the end of the week, with a decision likely in September.