Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

Yes. He must remain in Northern Ireland. Mr. Garland has been instructed to reside at an address in Northern Ireland pending the receipt of appropriate documentation from the United States authorities to support the extradition request. I understand that the said documentation must be forwarded to the authorities in the United Kingdom within 65 days of the date of the initial request for extradition, that is within 65 days of 4 October 2005.

Mr. Garland has since contacted Irish officials in the British-Irish intergovernmental secretariat in Belfast. Assurances have been given to Mr. Garland that the case will continue to be monitored by the Government and that Mr. Garland had the same rights as any other citizen in that respect. I acknowledge that he is a private citizen of this nation and that he is the president of an Irish political party.

As Deputies are aware, the upholding of the rights of Irish citizens arrested outside this jurisdiction is an ongoing part of the work of the Department of Foreign Affairs. Our officials work to ensure that Irish citizens are in no way treated in a discriminatory manner and that they are provided with appropriate legal assistance at all times. Mr. Garland is fully entitled to due process and to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

I can confirm Deputy Carey's statement that within the last hour, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, immediately after a meeting of the National Forum on Europe, along with Deputy Carey and Deputy Joe Higgins, has met representatives of the Workers' Party and has discussed the situation. I can also confirm to the House that a request was made to the Minister to raise this matter with the American authorities. Deputy Quinn has already raised that question and I can confirm that the Minister has given a commitment that this matter will be raised with the American authorities immediately.

Deputies will also understand that the Irish Government does not have the power to interfere in legal proceedings that take place in another jurisdiction. Such matters are for the courts alone to decide upon and, as such, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further on the details of the case at present.

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