Vol. 398 No. 10
73 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the representations which have been made in the case of an Irish national (details supplied) serving life imprisonment in Canada; if he will indicate the extent of the evidence in this case and the basis for the claim that this person was wrongly convicted; if he will take any further action in the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The case to which the Deputy refers is that of an Irish citizen who was arrested in Canada in 1984 on a charge of killing a Canadian citizen. He stood trial in June 1985, was found guilty of first degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment. He has since appealed his case, through the Canadian judicial appeals system, but without success. He is currently seeking a review of his case by the Minister for Justice of Canada under the terms of the Canadian legal code.
The Irish Embassy at Ottawa has been monitoring this case since the arrest of the citizen in question and has maintained contact with him and his legal representatives throughout the period. The Embassy, at the citizen's request, has made representations to the appropriate Canadian authorities regarding aspects of his prison conditions. In addition, an officer of the embassy attended the appeal court hearing of the case last May.
The Embassy will continue to stay in contact with the citizen in question and offer him appropriate consular assistance and advice. I do not think, however, that it would be appropriate for me to comment on the evidence presented to the courts in Canada in this case.
