Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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I know, but the deputy director has said in the same breath that the initiative could be very costly now that the Director of Public Prosecutions is starting it off, and that the office would not have the resources to do so. I would like a better presentation. The Director of Public Prosecutions has recruited a couple of solicitors to carry out this work but the deputy director is unsure what the budget will be. If this is already happening then obviously it is at a very low level. The new European Union directive has been put into legislation and the Director of Public Prosecutions has acted upon it. I ask Mr. Donoghue to clarify how the directive will benefit the victims of crime who now have a right to know why the Director of Public Prosecutions has decided not to prosecute a particular case. I have come across many Director of Public Prosecutions cases over the years. Therefore, I know that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions goes into court at the last moment makes a statement that there will be no prosecution, with no reason given. The lack of a reason has been an issue of huge public concern for many years. It would be valuable for the committee to know precisely how the system will operative and how proactive the Director of Public Prosecutions will be so that the citizen benefits from the new directive.