Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 340: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of extradition warrants issued in each of the past five years to date; the number served or executed; the number pending; the number that related to organised criminals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21405/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 341: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of warrants issued in respect of criminals residing outside this jurisdiction in each of the past five years; the number served and extraditions arising therefrom in each period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21406/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 340 and 341 together.

I wish to inform the Deputy that the information provided in the following tabular form relates to European Arrest Warrants forwarded under the European Arrest Warrant Act 2003 as amended and requests forwarded under Part II of the Extradition Act 1965 as amended. Prior to the enactment of the European Arrest Warrant Act 2003 as amended, extradition between Ireland and England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland was governed by Part III of the Extradition Act 1965 as amended.Under Part III of the 1965 Act, outgoing requests were forwarded by the Garda Síochána and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform or the Department did not have a role in this procedure. I have been informed by the Garda Authorities that there were 23 outgoing Part III requests to the United Kingdom in 2003; out of the 23 requests, 15 persons have been extradited and 8 cases are pending.

In relation to European Arrest Warrants (EAWs) the information provided in the "surrendered" and "refused" columns relates to the year of the decision and not the year of transmission of the EAW. The information in the "pending" column relates to the current position by year of transmission. In relation to the requests forwarded under Part II of the 1965 Act, the information provided in the "extradited", "refused" and "pending" columns relate to the current position, by year of transmission, of the outgoing request.

European Arrest Warrants and extradition requests under Part II of the Extradition Act 1965 are transmitted for serious offences which may include organised criminal activities. These offences include murder, rape, child sexual offences, drug trafficking, manslaughter, robbery and the laundering of the proceeds of crime.