§ Mr. MaginnisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps have been taken to initiate formal extradition proceedings in the Irish Republic against Nessun Quinliven and Pearse McAuley; what discussions with the authorities in the Irish Republic have taken place; and what has been the Irish Republic's response;
(2) when he was first informed of the capture by the Irish Republic's authorities of Nessun Quinliven and Pearse McAuley; and whether he was officially given details by the Irish Government.
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§ Mr. MacleanThe Metropolitan police was informed by the Irish authorities on 4 April and 9 April 1993 of the arrests in that country of Nessun Quinliven and of Pearse McAuley on those days. The Irish authorities were immediately informed of our interest in securing the return of the two men, in respect of whom arrest warrants had been issued here. But as I explained in my letter to the hon. Member of 4 August 1993, the domestic Irish proceedings against Quinliven and McAuley take precedence over requests for extradition. Nessun Quinliven was sentenced to four years' imprisonment on 7 October 1993, and Pearse McAuley to seven years on 18 November 1993, by the Dublin Special Criminal Court. These sentences of imprisonment will have to be served before they could be surrendered to the United Kingdom authorities.