I propose to take Priority Question No. 50 and Questions Nos. 21, 22 and 28 together.
The Foreign Minister of Belgium informed the Chargé D'Affaires at the Irish Embassy in Brussels on Friday 25 November 1988 that the Belgian Authorities had decided not to grant the extradition request of the British authorities in respect of Patrick Ryan and that they had decided to repatriate Patrick Ryan to Ireland. The Irish Government were not consulted by the Belgian Government before this decision was taken. The Government, through the Embassy, confirmed to the Belgian Government the right of Patrick Ryan to enter Ireland at any time.
With regard to the question of comments in the British press, I recall that all sides of the House expressed concern, in the debate on the continuance of the Extradition (Amendment) Act 1987 last week, about the media coverage of the Patrick Ryan case in Britain. This case did not arise in the European Council at Rhodes.