asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if recent meetings at diplomatic and Anglo-Irish Conference level have satisfactorily clarified and resolved the British uncertainty relating to the implementation of the Extradition (Amendment) Act, 1987.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Extradition Arrangements.
11.
At a recent meeting of officials, the British authorities presented views in regard to compliance with the provisions of the Extradition (Amendment) Act. These views are under consideration.
I think the Minister is confirming that no extraditions have taken place since the Extradition (Amendment) Act came into force in the middle of December but that the dispute has not been resolved. Is that correct?
Meetings have taken place very recently. Positive proposals have been made by the British side and they are at present being examined by our Attorney General. I would hope to see finality in this matter very soon. I can give the Deputy that assurance.
Would the Minister hope to see extraditions taking place under this legislation in the near future?
Once these matters are clarified and we have the proper means of implementing the safeguards which we incorporated in the extradition legislation then, of course, the legislation will proceed to operate. That has all been discussed with a view to implementing the safeguards.
Deputy Alan Shatter.
In view of the——
I have called Deputy Shatter.
I assume the meeting the Minister referred to is the meeting that took place during the first week of March between the officials of the Attorney General's office here and the officials of the Attorney General's office in London.
There have been further contacts since then.
Can the Minister indicate how many such meetings have taken place since the Extradition (Amendment) Act came into force in December 1987? Can he also indicate whether the Attorney General's office in Dublin has made a submission to the English Attorney General's office specifically setting out what information is required by the Irish Attorney General to satisfy the criteria of the Extradition Act? Can the Minister further indicate the last date on which a meeting took place between the officials of the two offices, whether a date has been fixed for a further meeting and, if so, what that date is?
The meeting of 2 March to which the Deputy refers was a very constructive one between the officials of the two offices. These proposals are being examined now and finality has been practically reached. There have been regular telephone and other contacts since then without a formal meeting taking place and I hope that agreement will be reached fairly shortly on how to implement the safeguards — after all, these are new safeguards that we brought into the extradition legislation — the procedural ways and means of doing so and to ensure that the Act passed by this House works as smoothly as possible. The House might be a little patient because I can assure it that the matter is reaching finality.
Would the Minister confirm that the first occasion on which any meeting took place between the Irish Attorney General's office and the British Attorney General's office was the meeting on 2 March? Can he confirm that at no stage prior to that meeting had the Attorney General's office in Dublin indicated in detail to the British Attorney General's office what information they required to satisfy the criteria of the Act and could he also confirm that by the time the Act was passed through the Oireachtas the Attorney General's office had not clarified, in their own minds, what criteria were required? Finally, would the Minister agree that if extradition is not recommended within a short time it is going to add another layer of difficulty and crisis to Anglo-Irish relations?
The Deputy is working on a series of presumptions which I do not accept. What I do accept is the present position which is that since the meeting took place on 2 March very constructive exchanges have taken place and the matter is now nearing finality.
May I ask the Minister if it would not be singularly inappropriate to accede to the pressure for the processing of extradition requests in anticipation of satisfaction of the legal guarantees in the Act?
I regard the legal guarantees, or safeguards as I call them, as very important. There is no question about that.
Question No. 12, please.
May I ask a very brief question?
Next question, please.