Vol. 571 No. 3
257 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will make a statement on the working of the drug court to date; his views on the decision of the drug court to extend its catchment area to include all of Dublin 7; and if there are plans to extend the court to other areas, especially the areas hardest hit by the drugs epidemic on Dublin's southside. [21583/03]
A pilot drug court programme commenced in the Dublin District Court in January 2001 for an 18 month period for persons who had committed non-violent drug related offences. Dublin's north inner city was the area selected for the project because of the extent of drug misuse and the availability of treatment in the area.
The pilot 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 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 I 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.
It is expected that the extension of the catchment area will increase the number of referrals to the drug court. As of 31 August 2003, 118 persons have been referred to the drug court for assessment from the Dublin District Court. Eight persons are under various stages of assessment, 41 persons have been returned to the District Court as ineligible for the treatment programme and 69 persons have been assigned treatment plans. Of these, there have been six graduates of the treatment programme. Some 36 persons are participating in the programme and 27 persons have been terminated from the programme.
