I think all of us on this side of the House are confused because my understanding is that the Extradition (Amendment) Act lasts only for a period of one year unless renewed by both Houses of the Oireachtas, as a result of an amendment I tabled on behalf of my party when bringing this Act into being last December. Therefore, it is necessary for the Minister to come before this House before the end of the year to renew this Act or has a decision been taken by the Government that the Extradition (Amendment) Act, 1987 will not be renewed?

The requirement that an annual report be provided is outlined in section 6 and because of the confusion which appears to exist let me outline what it provides for. Section 6 provides that the Government shall as soon as may be after the first day of January in each year, beginning with the year 1989, make a report to each House of the Oireachtas on the operation, in the preceding year, of Part III of the Principal Act. The Principal Act is the Extradition Act, 1965 and Part III provides for the simplified backing of warrant arrangements which we operate with Britain and Northern Ireland. That report or review, or whatever one may wish to call it will, therefore, cover the extradition arrangements we operate with Britain and Northern Ireland in their entirety. It will include the new safeguards contained in the 1987 Act such as the new sections empowering the Attorney General to direct that a warrant will not be endorsed unless he is satisfied of certain matters because they were effected by amendments to Part III of the Act.

The Minister has not answered my question. The Extradition (Amendment) Act will cease to operate unless renewed by both Houses of the Oireachtas. An amendment was accepted on Report Stage which specified that this Act would remain in being for a period of 12 months unless renewed. I would like to know whether the Act will be renewed prior to the expiry date?

In conjunction with that question, in order to clarify matters, can the Minister tell us whether he accepts if that legislation passed last December is not renewed then the requirement for a report lapses and we are talking in a vacuum?

There is no doubt whatsoever that the Act is going to be renewed. There is no question in the world about that and there never has been. I made that quite clear here last Wednesday.

The Minister will have to come back into the House before 31 December to be able to do it.