§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the Irish Republic will sign the appropriate convention enabling it to receive Irish nationals serving custodial sentences in prisons in the United Kingdom. [17660]
§ Mr. HurdThis is a matter for the Irish Government. At the recent plenary meeting of the British-Irish inter-parliamentary body the Irish Foreign Minister, Mr. Spring, confirmed that legislation to ratify the Council of Europe convention on the transfer of sentenced persons was being prepared by the Irish Department of Justice, and was expected to be introduced in the Dail after the Easter recess.