The Government has advised the President to appoint Judge Cyril Kelly and Mr Nicholas Kearns SC to be judges of the High Court.
The appointments will bring the number of ordinary High Court judges to 22, its highest level ever. The Cabinet decided to increase the number of High Court judges because of the absence of Mr Justice Moriarty and Mr Justice Flood at the two tribunals and Miss Justice Carroll, who is chairing the nursing commission.
Judge Kelly, who currently sits on the Circuit Court bench, is from Armagh and studied at UCD and King's Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1977 and appointed a judge of the Circuit Court in 1992. He is married to Ms Patricia McNamara, a solicitor, and lives in Dublin.
Mr Kearns, who has a big personal injuries practice, also studied at UCD and the King's Inns. He was called to the Bar in 1968 and to the Inner Bar in 1982. He set up the AIDS Fund in 1987 which raised significant sums for AIDS relief and research in Ireland. He is married and lives in Dublin.