Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)

As far as this side of the House is concerned, we broadly support the Minister's proposals and welcome him and the legislation to the House. I shall not say a lot about the legislation.

The Minister referred, in his concluding remarks, to the tragic Tobin case which has some important legal and jurisprudential implications as far as this country is concerned. I ask the Minister, perhaps not in his response today but at the next Stage, to consider the implications, if any, of the legislation for the extradition warrant applied for in the case of the unfortunate and unsolved murder in west Cork of Ms Sophie Toscan du Plantier. The High Court envisaged the extradition of Mr. Bailey but it was reversed in the Supreme Court. I am not quite sure how it fits into this legislation or if the case has implications for it. If there are implications or concerns, perhaps the Minister would be kind enough to address them at some stage during the passage of the Bill. I know extradition is a complex area of legislation and of law. On behalf of the Fianna Fáil group in the Seanad, I support the legislation and wish it a speedy passage.