asked the Minister for Justice if he will review our extradition agreements with other countries with a view to obliging applicant countries in all extradition proceedings to establish in our courts a prima facie case against the subject of every extradition application.

(Limerick East): I do not think so. There are substantial arguments against any requirement to establish a prima facie case and it is a requirement that was abandoned as a standard condition by the Extradition Act, 1965. This was clearly a considered decision to bring us into line with the general, even if not universal, practice of continental countries, a practice reflected in the terms of the European Convention on Extradition to which this country is a party.

It would be outside the compass of a reply to a parliamentary question to go into the detailed arguments for and against the existing position. It will be clear, however, that I am not totally excluding the possibility of change but it is not something that would be undertaken without a great deal of consideration and, of course, if there were to be any question of a basic change in policy it would require the approval of the Government.