asked the Minister for Justice if the report on the workings during 1988 of Part III of the Extradition Act, 1965, which is to be presented to the Houses of the Oireachtas, has been the subject of discussion as between the British and Irish Governments at ministerial level or at the level of the Maryfield Secretariat.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Report on Workings of Extradition Legislation.
11.
The answer is no.
I am not certain which question the Minister was replying to.
Question No. 11. The answer is no.
Can the Minister tell us if it is the intention of the Government, before the report is presented to the Houses of the Oireachtas, to consult with the British Government or to use the process of the Anglo-Irish Agreement to have discussions on it?
It would not be appropriate for the report to be conveyed to the British authorities in advance of it being presented to both Houses of the Oireachtas. It would not be appropriate to do so under section 6 of the Extradition (Amendment) Act, which states that the report shall be made to each House of the Oireachtas.
Would the Minister confirm that this is going to be the case? Would he also confirm that aspects of the report will not be discussed with the British Government before it is presented to the Houses of the Oireachtas? Finally, can he tell us when that report will be presented?
This is not to say that questions will not be asked about the report or that questions have not been raised from time to time by the British authorities, but the position is very clear cut. The report will be laid before the Oireachtas first. That is the position.
When?
That is a separate question.