Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I am pleased to respond to this motion from three respected Members of this House representing three different political parties. Mr. Sean Garland was arrested by the PSNI in Belfast on 7 October 2005. At the time of his arrest, Irish officials at the British-Irish intergovernmental secretariat in Belfast were immediately contacted and subsequently sought clarification from the British authorities as to the basis for his arrest.

Mr. Garland was provisionally arrested on foot of a request from the United States Government for his extradition. The request for extradition was made on the basis that Mr. Garland is the subject of an indictment filed on 19 May 2005 in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The United States authorities want Mr. Garland to stand trial on counterfeiting charges.

As Members will be aware, Mr. Garland has been released on bail subject to the payment of surety and daily reporting to a PSNI station.

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