asked the Minister for Justice if in respect of the 891 people extradited to Britain and Northern Ireland since 1965 he will distinguish between terrorist and non-terrorist type offences in each year; and if he will give details of the number freed.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Extradition Statistics.
7.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that it is not always possible to make a clear distinction between terrorist and non-terrorist offences. In addition to this difficulty, the information sought is not readily available from Garda records as they are kept at present. It could be obtained only at the expense of a disproportionate amount of Garda time which would not be warranted.
I find it hard to accept that it is not possible to distinguish between what I call terrorist and non-terrorist type of offences. We all know what terrorist type offences are. Since there are only 891 cases anyway, it should have been possible to distinguish between them. Why did the Minister not answer the last part of the question in respect of the numbers for whom extradition warrants were lodged but who were not, in fact, extradited?
The information sought in the second part of the question is not available from Garda records and could only be compiled by asking the Garda authorities to pursue each case with the relevant police force and this would have to be considered as being unreasonable.
That information must be available from Garda records.
Of course.
The applications for the warrants had to be lodged with the commissioner. These are all lodged in one office here. If the Minister is able to give the numbers of people who were extradited, one can equally, from the very same file, give the numbers of people in respect of whom requests were made.
Not necessarily. I am advised by the Garda that it is not possible for them to make a clear distinction between terrorist and non-terrorist offences and that the type of information sought by the Deputy is not readily available from the Garda records as they are kept at the present time. It is a matter for the Garda.
I have asked the Minister a supplementary question in respect of the numbers for whom warrants were lodged but who were not, in the heel of the hunt, extradited. I did not ask him on the last occasion to distinguish between terrorist and non-terrorist offences. The Minister seems to be very confused, very defensive. Is there some strange reason why the simple information is not given?
There is no reason whatsoever. The Deputy asked the Minister for Justice if in respect of the 891 people extradited to Britain and Northern Ireland since 1965 — of course that should read 1969 because the figures that we have only cover the period from 1969 onwards — he will distinguish between terrorist and non-terrorist type offences in each year; and if he will give details of the numbers freed. I am telling the Deputy that from the records being kept that information is not readily available and to give it would be at the expense of a disproportionate amount of Garda time which would not be warranted.
Surely the Minister could——
How was the Minister, or the Taoiseach, in fact, able to give the figure of 891 which I quote here when he was speaking on the Extradition (Amendment) Bill in this House the week before last, if it is not possible to obtain all this information? The Taoiseach said that these were the figures from 1965 on
It was very easy for the Taoiseach to give the information he gave for the very simple reason that there was a clear record of the number of warrants lodged but information on what happened afterwards is not readily available. I have explained that to the Deputy.
I call Question No. 8.
I would ask the Minister——
I have called Question No. 8 and I mean it.
I am sorry——
I have called Question No. 8 and that is that.
Is it unfair that you do not let another Deputy ask a supplementary question on the matter.
Would the Minister please answer the Deputy's question?