Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the independence of the Office of the DPP and the great work carried out by it in conjunction with An Garda. It is important, however, to ensure that we update our legislation, the office and how it operates. The group is engaging with academics and relevant experts and examining other jurisdictions, as the Deputy has mentioned. It has considered the experience of common law jurisdictions and those which operate under the general jurisprudence of European victims' rights law or its equivalent; jurisdictions where changes have taken place in the conduct of prosecutions, especially with regard to the role of the police, which is what we are talking about here; and the role of law enforcement and non-policing agencies in prosecutorial regimes, including decisions to prosecute and the conduct of prosecutions.

The review and scope of the work being done by the group led by the former Secretary General to the Government are quite broad. The group is not considering the Irish system alone; it is taking best practice into account. It is considering the systems of other jurisdictions where there have been changes and where there are other prosecutorial mechanisms. I look forward to seeing the report and will not pre-empt it.

We have had two interim reports but we will move to try to implement the recommendations as quickly as possible.

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