Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

This is a tricky area. Section 5(4) allows the State to join a joint investigation team which has already been established on such terms and conditions as the Irish competent authority may agree with the competent authorities of the member states involved in the original establishment of the team. In other words, under this section the team has already been set up. The effect of the proposed amendment would be to provide a cross-reference to section 4(3) which deals with the criteria to be taken into consideration by the State when deciding whether to establish a joint investigation team with another member state in the first place.