Vol. 559 No. 5
353 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has received a request for the repatriation of a person (details supplied) in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26671/02]
I can confirm that my Department has received the formal application from the United Kingdom authorities for transfer of the person concerned. It is being reviewed by the State's legal officers to ensure that the requirements of the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons and the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Acts, 1995 and 1997, are satisfied. I await their advice in the matter before deciding whether to give my consent to the application.
It should be noted that the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons requires extensive documentation to be exchanged between both jurisdictions to allow an application to be fully considered. A three way consent is also required to enable any transfer to take place, that is, from the authorities of both jurisdictions and from the person concerned. On receipt of these consents, assuming they are forthcoming, an application must be made to the High Court for a warrant authorising the transfer of the person concerned and his or her continued detention here.
These procedures are required under the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Act and must be adhered to in processing each application. Every effort will be made to complete this process as quickly as possible.
