Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

This amendment seeks to provide that, before the Minister can consent to a request from a sentencing state for the enforcement of a sentence against an Irish national, I would have to be satisfied the person had not only fled from the sentencing state, but that he or she was in this State. The amendment is unnecessary as the Bill already refers to a person who has fled to this State. I do not think there is a real problem there and it is highly unlikely that I will be inundated with requests to enforce sentences against people who have fled to this State and have since disappeared somewhere else. Whatever about wasting our time, I presume that most other member states will not waste their time by asking me to do the impossible.