Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is reported that An Garda Síochána and the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, are developing a system that will allow for the application of an adult caution, rather than a criminal prosecution, for people in possession of drugs for their own use. Apparently this is a recommendation in a Government working group report but this report has not been published and has not been presented to, let alone approved by, the Government. Who is in charge of this initiative? Where does it come from? Under what authority are public agencies developing what is a new policy, apparently without the authority of a formal Government decision or the chance for us all to debate it? The initiative might be very good but we would like to have the opportunity to debate and discuss it in this House. How does that decision sit with the view of Government on criminal justice matters?

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