§ Mr. Dunlopasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many suspected murderers, bombers, or 45W perpetrators of any other terrorist crimes are now believed by the United Kingdom security forces to be living in the Republic of Ireland; how many applications have been made by the Royal Ulster Constabulary for the extradition of suspected terrorists; how many such applications have been successful; and what are the reasons given by courts in the Republic for the failure to extradite terrorists.
§ Mr. PriorAlthough the police believe that some people whom they would like to interview in connection with terrorist crimes committed in the United Kingdom are now in the Republic, it cannot be said for certain where they all are.
Since 1969, arrest warrants have been forwarded by the Royal Ulster Constabulary to the Garda Siochana in relation to 82 cases connected with terrorism. As a result one person has been extradited; the suspect was returned to Northern Ireland in 1976 and was subsequently convicted of arson. The Irish courts have refused extradition on 45 occasions. The reasons given for these refusals and the outcome of the remaining warrants have been as follows:
subject arrested in the Republic of Ireland but extradition refused: (i) on the grounds that the offence was political 34 (ii) on the grounds that no comparable offence existed within the Republic 9 subject arrested in the Republic but habeas corpus granted 2 Warrants refused 45 Other warrants: subject arrested in United Kingdom 17 subject prosecuted and imprisoned in the Republic 1 warrants later withdrawn by RUC 12 warrants not yet executed 6
§ Mr. Dunlopasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish full details of the persons and crimes for which extradition applications in the Republic of Ireland have failed.
§ Mr. PriorArrest warrants have been forwarded by the Royal Ulster Constabulary to the authorities in the Republic of Ireland in relation to a wide variety of46W offences. Details of the cases in which the Irish courts have refused extradition are only readily available in respect of terrorist-type offences. The 45 cases since 1969 relating to such offences for which extradition has been refused by the courts in the Republic have been in connection with the following alleged offences:
Main offence cited in warrant Number refused Murder 5 Attempted murder 1 Malicious wounding 1 Possession of firearms and ammunition 4 Possession of explosives 10 Planting explosives 2 Causing an explosion 2 Armed robbery 1 Arson and malicious damage 2 Hijacking 1 Escape from lawful custody 15 Conspiracy 1 It would not be appropriate to publish the names of those suspects whose return to Northern Ireland was sought in these warrants.