Vol. 491 No. 2
26 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform whether he will establish a drugs court as outlined in An Action Programme for the Millennium; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11510/98]
When I took office last year I requested the Working Group on a Courts Commission to consider the issue of drug courts. It recently submitted its report to me. Drug courts have the potential to be an effective part of a pattern of projects and activities to heal the drug problem and the social evils it creates in society.
The philosophy behind the drug courts is one of restorative rather than punitive justice in which the successful completion of the treatment programme replaces punishment. The drug court concept is most advanced in the United States where early statistics are encouraging in terms of recidivism rates and cost effective treatment. The development of a drug court system, as recommended in the working group report, would assist the Judiciary by putting in place the infrastructure to enable the judge to order treatment and to enable that treatment be carried out.
The goal of such courts would be to reduce drug use among defendants, to increase the community functioning of the participants, to reduce recidivism, to reduce social dysfunction, to reduce the overall cost to the State of the individuals involved and to reduce the cost to the State of the prison service.
I am sure you will agree that these proposals are without question radical and innovative. The report is under full and active consideration in my Department at present, and I intend to bring it to the attention of the Government shortly.
