Vol. 478 No. 5
106 Mr. O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Justice the steps, if any, she has taken in relation to the extradition of known criminal suspects associated with the illegal drugs trade in Ireland who are currently resident abroad and particularly in Spain. [11641/97]
I refer the Deputy to the reply given by my predecessor to Question No. 66 on 25 November 1993 Official Report, Vol. 436, No. 3, Column 646.
A decision on whether to proceed with the making of an extradition request for the purpose of bringing a person before the courts on criminal charges here is a matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions who is independent in the exercise of his functions. My understanding is that among the issues considered by the director in any individual case is whether sufficient evidence exists to enable criminal proceedings to proceed should the person's extradition be secured.
