The Minister for Justice has insisted there is no need to withdraw a Bill giving effect to a new EU framework on arrest warrants and extradition after 60 pages of the document were omitted due to a printing error.
Labour's justice spokesman, Mr Joe Costello, today called on the Government to withdraw the European Arrest Warrant Bill 2003 following the discovery that what he said were "two distinct and conflicting versions" had been published. The Committee and Report stages of the Bill are due to be completed in the Dail this week.
"This is a case of virtually unprecedented incompetence on the part of the Department of Justice for which the Minister, Michael McDowell, must take full responsibility," Mr Costello said.
"In almost fifteen years in the Dail and Seanad I have never come across a situation where two different versions of a Bill have been published and those who have been here far longer than I have cannot recall such a situation ever happening before."
Mr Costello said he discovered that there were two different versions of the Bill published when he was tabling amendments for the Committee Stage. He discovered that the text that the Dail Bills Office was working off and which is posted on the Oireachtas website "differed substantially" from the version circulated to deputies last July.
It emerged that a schedule running to almost 60 pages had been omitted from the copy of the Bill printed in July. Mr Costello said this called into question the second stage of the Bill, which was passed in the Dail on Friday.
He said it was not just a case of "the odd typing error" but that there were "significant differences" between the two copies of the document.
"This is an important Bill that will change our entire approach to the extradition of our citizens to other European countries. Regardless of whether one supports it or opposes it, the Bill merits full consideration and careful scrutiny by the Dail," Mr Costello said.
Mr Costello said the only way in which to avoid a potential legal and constitutional 'quagmire' was for the Government to "go back to the drawing board" and begin the entire process again.
However, the Department of Justice said this evening that the Government's approval of the July text of the Bill was "subject to any minor and non-substantive changes as may be agreed with the Attorney General".
As a result of a "printing error" the Bill was printed without the schedule. A re-print of the document was immediately arranged and the opportunity was taken to include the technical amendment, referred to by Mr Costello today, at that time.
The Department said the Bill as originally printed was presented to the Dail but not actually circulated to deputies. It was withdrawn when the printing error was noticed and later re-presented with an erratum slip attached.
"The Minister is satisfied the confusion arose from a printing error. He is also satisfied the Bills Office is working off the correct version of the Bill. There is therefore no need to consider withdrawing the Bill as suggested by Deputy Costello," the department added.