Question:
107 Mr. Coveney asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has any plans to establish a drugs court outside Dublin; and the action he proposes taking in this regard. [15104/01]
Written Answers. - Drugs Court.
Alan Shatter
Question:200 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has any plans to establish a drugs court outside Dublin; and the action he proposes taking in this regard. [15144/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 200 together.
The 1997 programme for Government included, in the context of measures to combat the drugs problem, the creation of a drugs court system which would involve court supervised treatment programmes for less serious drug related offences.
Following the report of the working group on a courts commission and also the report of the 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 3.00 p.m. at the Richmond Courthouse and each sitting is preceded by a meeting of the drug court team and the judge.
The drug court pilot programme marks a major policy initiative in the criminal justice system and is designed to test this important alternative measure for dealing with less serious and non-violent drug offenders. The pilot programme, which will be run for a period of 18 months, is being evaluated by expert consultants who were appointed following a public procurement process. The success of the pilot programme depends on the development of an integrated cross service strategic plan involving court supervised treatment programmes. The merit of implementing a drug court programme on a national basis will be considered following the completion and evaluation of the pilot project in Dublin.
Question No. 108 answered with Question No. 75.