Vol. 402 No. 3
46 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has made any representations to the British authorities to speed up the hearing by the Court of Appeal of the case of the Birmingham Six; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
When the referral of the Birmingham Six case to the Court of Appeal was announced, the Taoiseach made clear publicly the Government's desire to see an early and satisfactory resolution of the case. In my address to the UN General Assembly last month, I reiterated the sense of urgency with which we regard the matter.
For the moment, the question of the timing of the appeal hearing is in the hands of the British Director of Public Prosecutions, who is, as in this country, an independent law officer. The Government will continue, however, to convey to the British authorities their wish for a speedy resolution of the case.
