Foreword

Once again I have the privilege to present the Annual Report of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to the public. The report covers the calendar year 2006.

The year continued to be a time of organisational change in the Office. Section 8 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 was expected to be brought into force in 2006 but in fact was not finally put in place until 1 February 2007. The provision confers on members of An Garda Síochána the power to institute and conduct criminal prosecutions in courts of summary jurisdiction in the name of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Act also confers on me a statutory power to give both general and specific directions to the Gardaí in respect of such prosecutions. During 2006 a good deal of work was carried out preparatory to the coming into force of the section as reported in more detail in Chapter 3.

The last remaining recommendation of the Report of the Public Prosecution System Study Group (the Nally Report) to transfer responsibility for the local state solicitor service from the Attorney General to my Office remained unfulfilled in 2006 despite our best efforts to achieve it. At the time of writing (May 2007) I am happy to say that we have finally carried out that transfer. This completes a vital part of the work of transforming the Office into a national prosecution service.

Last year I wrote about the need to establish a prosecution policy unit within the Office. I am pleased to report that in late 2006 I received sanction from the Government to establish such a unit and the Office is now in the process of recruiting staff. When in place this unit will be able to concentrate on fundamental long-term questions which are important for the future of how the Office conducts criminal prosecutions. The unit will address such matters as guidelines, standards and directions for prosecutions, advice concerning the practical implications of proposed criminal legislation when we are asked for such advice, policy towards victims of crime and analysis of prosecutorial decision-making with a view to improving standard-setting and ensuring consistency of approach.

A continuing cause for concern is the Office's accommodation problem. We are still divided between two buildings and the expansion in numbers in the Office means that we are about to have to locate some of our staff in a third. However, the Office of Public Works has identified suitable accommodation adjacent to the new criminal court complex being built near Heuston Station and we very much look forward to being able to locate the entire Office on a single site when this move takes place.

At the heart of this Annual Report is the statistical information contained in Chapter 9. The year 2006 saw an increase of 5% in the number of files referred to the Office. The report shows an improvement in the response times within which directions are given on files, with 52% of all files received being directed on within two weeks and 84% of all files being dealt with within three months.

Finally, once again I would like to thank my own staff for their dedication and hard work during 2006, and also to thank all the many people and other agencies who worked and cooperated with us during the year in helping us to achieve our goal of delivering a prosecution service that is independent, fair and effective.

James Hamilton
Director of Public Prosecutions
May 2007