Vol. 194 No. 8
asked the Minister for Justice what is the present position with regard to the transfer of persons accused of (a) criminal offences, and (b) civil offences between this country and Northern Ireland; and whether any change in the present position is now contemplated.
78.
asked the Minister for Justice if his attention has been drawn to a report that an extradition treaty between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland is being drafted by his Department and will later be discussed in London; and whether such a treaty is in fact being drafted; and, if so, at what date the drafting will be completed; and whether any such treaty will cover persons accused of political offences.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 78 together.
As indicated in the recent White Paper on the Law Reform programme, it is proposed to replace the Extradition Act, 1870, which deals with the extradition of offenders to foreign countries, with an up-to-date measure. In this connection the present reciprocal arrangements for the enforcement of British criminal warrants and the question of amending the law to permit of the enforcement, on a reciprocal basis, of warrants issued in Northern Ireland will fall to be considered.
Preliminary examination of the proposal in the White Paper has been commenced but I am not in a position at this stage to say when the examination will be completed.
I think I should say, however, that should any arrangements be made for the reciprocal enforcement of Northern Ireland warrants there would, of course, be no question of departing from normal international practice in extradition matters in accordance with which extradition for political offences is prohibited.
