asked the Minister for Justice if the review of the operation of Part III of the Extradition Act, 1965, to be undertaken before the end of the current year by the Government, has been initiated; if it has been completed; and when the report will be available to the Houses of the Oireachtas.

What is provided for in the Extradition (Amendment) Act, 1987, is an annual report by the Government to each House of the Oireachtas on the operation, in the preceding year, of Part III of the Extradition Act 1965 to be made as soon as may be after 1 January. The review proper will commence immediately after the end of the year but the necessary monitoring of the operation of Part III has been in progress throughout this year.

The report to each House of the Oireachtas will be made as soon as possible in the New Year.

I am slightly puzzled because in a speech which the Minister made in this House on a Fine Gael Private Members' motion on 28 June of this year he stated that the review in question must be undertaken before the end of the current year in order to enable the Government to fulfil their statutory obligation to submit the report as soon as may be after 1 January 1989. The Minister now seems to be indicating that this review will not commence until the beginning of next year. My understanding of the statutory obligation is that the report must be produced as soon as may be after 1 January. Can the Minister tell us if this is not the case? Secondly, can the Minister tell us if the review of the entire extradition arrangements between Ireland and Britain is being carried out by his Government acting on their own or are they doing so in conjunction with the Government of the UK?

The Deputy must understand that responsibility for legislation in the Oireachtas rests with the Government and not with any other government. Secondly, in regard to the Deputy's question on the annual report, as I said, the Extradition (Amendment) Act, 1987 provides for an annual report by the Government to each House of the Oireachtas on the operation in the preceding year of Part III of the Extradition Act, 1965, to be made as soon as may be after 1 January.

A report is provided for, not a review.

That is laid down in the Act. The review proper will commence immediately after the end of the year but the necessary monitoring of the operation of Part III has been in progress throughout this year.