§ 72. Sir John Biggs-DavisonTo ask the Attorney-General if he will make a further statement about the implementation of extradition from the Irish Republic.
§ The Attorney-GeneralSection 6 of the Irish Extradition (Amendment) Act 1987 provides that the Irish Government shall, as soon as may be after the first day of January in each year beginning with the year 1989, make a report to each House of the Oireachtas on the operation in the preceding year of part III of the Extradition Act 1965. The Irish Minister of Justice has stated that it has been the Irish Government's intention from the start that the review would identify any shortcomings that may exist, and he has reaffirmed the Irish Government's commitment to introduce amending legislation, should that prove necessary. This commitment was stated to extend to all aspects of the extradition arrangements with the United Kingdom.
The Government will continue to address these matters with the Irish Government in the context of that Government's review. For my part I have corresponded with, and spoken to, the Irish Attorney-General on a number of occasions since the McVeigh decision, with a view to securing the important mutual objective of enabling extradition between our two countries to proceed effectively. In addition, Mr. Murray and I have agreed to meet in the near future for further discussion of these matters.