asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress, if any, that has been made in negotiating an extradition treaty with Spain and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Ireland and Spain are both parties to the European Convention on Extradition and extradition between the two countries is based on the provisions of the convention. The convention is the basis for Irish extradition arrangements with most European countries. It is not proposed, therefore, to negotiate any different extradition arrangements with Spain but to operate under the terms of the European Convention.

Would the Minister agree that it is unacceptable that criminals from this country should find refuge in Spain beyond the reach of the law?

Of course.

Is the Minister saying——

I should qualify that by saying that if there are criminals, as Deputy Collins describes them, it is open to the authorities here to apply under the European Convention to have them extradited.

Is there a reluctance on the part of the Government to use the existing mechanism for the purpose of bringing home people who have obviously broken the law in this country?

That seems to be another question.

The implication is not correct but it has been used once already. It is a matter for the Attorney General, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Department of Justice as to whether it should be used again. Certainly there is no reluctance to use it.