The Government is to nominate three new High Court judges for appointment by the President. The names of Judge Karen O’Connor, Siobhán Phelan SC and Conor Dignam SC were brought to the Cabinet on Tuesday morning and approved by ministers.

The High Court vacancies were created by the retirements of Mr Justice Michael White and Mr Justice Bronagh O’Hanlon, and the promotion to the Court of Appeal of Mr Justice David Barniville.

All three new judges were educated at Trinity College and the Kings Inns. Ms O’Connor has been a judge of the Circuit Court since 2014, where she presided over the trial of former Anglo-Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm, while Ms Phelan and Mr Dignam are both practising barristers.

They will take up their appointments on the High Court bench once they have been formally appointed by the President, Michael D Higgins.