Results 26,821-26,840 of 34,956 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: I ask Mr. Donoghue to explain this decrease to me.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: I ask Mr. Donoghue to say that again because the public will be amazed that the reduction in the number of gardaí led to fewer prosecutions. Does Mr. Donoghue feel there is-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: There is a real connection there.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: People often think that to be the case but Mr. Donoghue is proving it now.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: That is great.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: Can Mr. Donoghue give us the details of the numbers of cases delegated? I think I read in the report that the DPP can still give instructions in the District Court. In other words, whatever happens of a Friday night, what kinds of cases used to go to the DPP's office that no longer need to go to it for prosecution in the District Court?

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: Mr. Donoghue has no idea of the number of cases. It is 1,000, 2,000, 5,000?

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: How many of them are adjournments, though?

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: Where would we get-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: Are some of those parking and traffic cases, though?

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: Do they need to come to the DPP?

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: To be helpful, Mr. Donoghue might send to the committee the list of cases in respect of which the DPP has delegated authority to the Garda such that they do not need to come to the DPP's office.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: I am more concerned about the assaults and robberies and where there are difficulties like that. Have those cases been delegated?

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: Mr. Donoghue might-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: None of us is really a legal person.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: I ask that Mr. Donoghue give us that so we know what is going through the DPP's office-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: -----versus what is going through the Garda and whether it is possible for anyone to deal with it. I am just reading through the DPP's annual report and I see details of the main reasons for a direction not to prosecute. Really, in 80% of cases the reason is insufficient evidence.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: That is the most common reason the DPP gives for not prosecuting. That is fair enough. One needs evidence. I am interested in page 22, "Case Results - Prosecutions on Indictment". The conviction rate in 2014, according to page 22, if I am reading the chart right, was 77%.

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: In 2015 it was 75%, and in 2016 it was 66%. The DPP's conviction rate on indictment seems to be declining. Why is this?

Public Accounts Committee: 2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts (Resumed)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (7 Feb 2019)

Seán Fleming: Yes. They are a full year.