749. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the progress on the evaluation of the drug treatment court, as identified as a strategic priority under the National Drugs Strategy Strategic Action Plan for 2023-2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44596/24]

Helen McEntee, Minister for Justice: My Department is fully committed to helping to significantly reduce the harms caused to families and communities by illicit drug use. The three main outcomes we are seeking to achieve in this area are tackling organised crime, ensuring that we minimise the harms caused to those with addiction issues, and diverting people from involvement in crime and illicit drug related activity.

As the Deputy may be aware, the Dublin Drug Treatment Court (Dublin DTC) is a supervised treatment, education, and rehabilitation programme, which provides an alternative to custodial sentences for persons found guilty of certain drug-related offences.

Established in 2001 on a pilot basis, it operates by way of a multi-disciplinary team made up of staff from various agencies, which are the Health Service Executive, An Garda Síochána, the Probation Service, the City of Dublin Educational Training Board, and the Courts Service and Judiciary.

Following the mid-term review of the National Drugs Strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, which covers the period 2017-2025 and is led by the Department of Health, six strategic priorities were identified for the remaining years of the strategy, up to the end of 2024. These are noted in the Strategic Action Plan 2023-2024, which marks a significant milestone in the further implementation of the National Drugs Strategy.

Strategic Implementation Groups (SIG) have been established to support the implementation of these priorities and actions. The fifth priority group, known as SIG 5, is to reinforce the health-led, rather than criminal justice-led approach to people who use drugs and who commit drug-related crimes.

Action 5.3 of SIG 5 is to evaluate the Dublin Drug Treatment Court and recommend the future direction of Drug Treatment Courts nationwide. This action is being led by my Department, in consultation with the Department of Health.

My Department is currently in the process of procuring an external consultant to assist in the completion of this vital work.