The 1997 Programme for Government included, in the context of measures to combat the drugs problem, the creation of a Drug Courts system which would involve court supervised treatment programmes for less serious drug related offences. Following the reports of the working group on a courts commission and an expert Drug Court planning committee, which I established, 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. The court sits on Tuesday and Thursday, at 3 p.m. at the Richmond Courthouse, and each sitting is preceded by a meeting of the Drug Court team and the judge. I should mention that the Drug Court planning committee included representatives of a wide range of interests, including the community sector. Strict criteria must be satisfied before an offender may be admitted to the Drug Court programme. Specifically, the offender must be over 17 years of age, reside within the catchment area, Dublin's north inner city, for a minimum of one year, have pleaded guilty or been found guilty in court of a non-violent criminal offence, be liable to be sentenced if convicted, be dependent on the use of prohibited drugs and/or prescribed drugs, have a clear understanding of the implications of participation with the Drug Court, and be willing to co-operate with supervision, stop offending, avail of appropriate drug treatment and participate generally on the programme put in place.