Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)

I am delighted to have the opportunity to support the new EU reform treaty. Since the 1950s, the European Union has been governed by sets of rules and treaties, which have required amendment from time to time. Members will recall the Irish Presidency of 2004 secured agreement on the new constitutional treaty. Unfortunately, as other Members have noted, it was rejected by France and the Netherlands. This state of affairs continued until the German Presidency when Chancellor Angela Merkel secured agreement on a new EU reform treaty. I recall the many discussions and difficulties that arose in this regard, particularly with her Polish colleagues.

As a Fine Gael member of the Council of Europe, I am proud to be part of its European People's Party group. The Council of Europe works to find solutions to issues such as human trafficking, terrorism, organised crime and corruption. As my colleagues have noted, Fine Gael supports the reform treaty but disagrees strongly with the Government's decision to opt out of its policing and criminal law sections. Recently, Ireland has experienced a major resurgence in gangland crime, whose perpetrators have many links to Europe. The high number of recent gangland shootings demonstrates an out-of-control situation. This morning's edition of the Irish Examiner reported that some criminals have hired hitmen from the Middle East to continue with their murdering expeditions and the only way to combat effectively cross-border crime is by increasing levels of co-operation at EU level.

Recent statistics have shown it takes Ireland six times longer than any other European country to surrender criminals on foot of European arrest warrants, EAWs. Fewer than half of the wanted suspects arrested by the Garda have been sent back to the states in which the crimes were committed. Criminal lawyers have suggested that this delay, combined with the low surrender figures, could result in Ireland being viewed as a safe haven for criminals on the run. The EAW scheme was set up to make the extradition of wanted criminals among member states more speedy and efficient and Ireland has been a member since 2001. Apart from Ireland, no European state takes longer than two months to surrender suspects who appeal their extradition under the EAW. However, it frequently takes longer than one year in Ireland. Moreover, figures from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform show that of the 169 suspects arrested under the EAW, only 81 were surrendered. In addition, European figures show that of the 60 warrants received in 2005, only 18 of the wanted suspects were arrested, of whom only seven were surrendered.

The Government has stated it will review its decision in this regard in three years' time. There is no reason for Ireland to follow Britain automatically in the decision to opt out as Ireland should not separate itself from the European mainstream. The Minister of State with responsibility for European Affairs made the same point approximately one month ago when he supported all aspects of the EU reform treaty. Although he has performed a U-turn in this regard subsequently, that is nothing new for the Government.

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