Parliamentary Question: Drug Courts

4th May 2004

245. Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his plans to extend the drug courts model based in Dublin city centre to other suburbs of Dublin and other parts of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12628/04]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell):  The pilot drug court programme was launched in the Dublin District Court on 9 January 2001 and the first sitting took place on 16 January 2001. Dublin's north inner city was chosen as the location from which to operate the pilot drug court.

The pilot drug court programme marked a major policy initiative in the criminal justice system and was designed as an alternative measure for dealing with less serious and non-violent drug offenders. The project was evaluated by expert consultants at the end of the 18-month period in July 2002. They recommended that the pilot project be extended and the catchment area be widened to include the Dublin 7 area and for the period of the extended pilot project to focus on the research and development activity necessary to roll-out the drug court more widely, while continuing and expanding the current pilot to further test and refine the emerging model and to address difficulties which had been identified.

I welcomed the recommendations contained in the report and supported the extension of the drug court to the full Dublin 7 catchment area. This will allow time for further consideration, in consultation with the relevant Departments and agencies, of how the drug court concept should be further developed and resourced.