Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 June 2016
93. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to enhance An Garda Síochána’s cautioning scheme for drug possession as part of treating drug use as a public health issue. [14319/16]
View answerThe Garda Adult Cautioning Scheme makes provision for the administering of a caution by a senior Garda officer for certain minor offences, as an alternative to prosecution in the District Court, where prosecution is not required by the public interest and it is determined that a caution would be a more appropriate and effective response.
The Scheme currently applies to a range of offences including, inter alia, offences contained in the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994, the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001, the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003, the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 and the Criminal Damage Act 1991.
The Scheme, which was drawn up in the first instance in agreement between the Garda authorities and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, is kept under review and any proposal to expand the scheme is a matter, in the first instance, for the Garda authorities and the Director of Public Prosecutions.
However, I can advise the Deputy that a group of relevant criminal justice agencies, including representatives of An Garda Síochána and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, is currently examining issues in this area including the scope of the Garda Adult Cautioning Scheme.
This work is ongoing and I expect to receive a report later this year.
More broadly, our response to the complex problem of drug misuse is set out in the current National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016. The Strategy adopts a comprehensive and balanced pillar based approach to the issue, involving the implementation of a wide range of measures across the five pillars of drug supply reduction, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and research.
It is through this balanced approach that we seek to effect comprehensive measures across all pillars with the aim of tackling the problem in a manner that achieves the best outcomes for those who misuse drugs and more broadly for society generally. The Department of Health is currently leading the development of a new Drugs Strategy which will provide our national drug policy framework post 2016.
