Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views and intentions regarding the expansion and development of community courts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32804/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Last year, the National Crime Council published a report entitled "Problem Solving Justice: the Case for Community Courts in Ireland". The report included a detailed consideration of the literature available on the concept, origin and development of Community Courts internationally. It also examined the position in the United States and in the United Kingdom to see how these courts work in practice. I welcome the report as a valuable aid to policy formulation and it is under consideration in my Department.

Community Courts share many of the characteristics of the Drug Treatment Court. This Court originally operated on a pilot basis in the North inner city of Dublin and has since been placed on a permanent footing and extended to the Dublin 7 area. The Court uses a multi-disciplinary approach and involves a range of Government Departments and agencies charged with dealing with various aspects of drug misuse.

The Court operates with the assistance of a team which includes the judge, a probation and welfare officer, an addiction nurse, a Garda liaison officer and education/training representative and counsellors. My Department is currently examining the operation of the court and officials are looking at best practice elsewhere to see how the Court's throughput might be enhanced. There are plans to extend the concept to the rest of the Dublin Metropolitan District Court area on a phased basis and discussions with other agencies are ongoing in this regard.