Annual Report 2024
03 October 2025
Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions publishes Annual Report 2024
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Catherine Pierse, is pleased to announce the publication of the Office of the DPP’s Annual Report for 2024, offering a comprehensive overview of the Office’s work over the past year.
The publication comes at a particularly significant time, as 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the appointment of the first DPP, Mr Eamonn Barnes, and the establishment of the Office in January 1975.
Over the past five decades, the Office of the DPP has played a central and independent role in upholding the rule of law and ensuring the fair and impartial prosecution of criminal offences on behalf of the people of Ireland. Reflecting on this legacy in her Foreword, the Director writes:
Today, the values of independence and fairness remain at the core of the Irish prosecution service and are as important as ever to the rule of law in a functioning democracy. The Office has grown from a small team of only four lawyers in 1975 to an Office of 300 staff, 30 state solicitors and over 200 barristers on our prosecution panels.”
The Office of the DPP now manages approximately 17,000 files annually, ensuring that each and every decision to prosecute or not to prosecute is made fairly, impartially, and free from political or external influence. The Annual Report 2024 outlines key statistics on this casework; legal developments; and progress on strategic goals. It highlights the continued commitment of our staff and key stakeholders to delivering a prosecution service that is fair and respectful of all parties involved – victims, accused persons and witnesses alike.
Speaking of how the prosecution service has evolved, the Director remarks that:
Since the establishment of the Office over five decades ago, much has changed in Ireland and the world. We have seen the growth of drug related and cyber-enabled crime, and the emergence of sophisticated organised crime gangs who operate transnationally.”
All of us who work in the criminal justice system have collectively been learning about the impact of trauma, and increasingly there is an awareness that instead of expecting vulnerable witnesses to adapt to our system, we must adapt instead to their needs. Increased supports for vulnerable victims since the enactment of the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Act 2017 mean that we can now prosecute complaints from very vulnerable victims, where ten years ago there would have been no reasonable prospect of a conviction.”
Addressing current challenges, including the increased level of court activity that now has to be supported by her Office and the criminal justice system, the Director comments:
During 2024, our Office supported a total of 2,185 trial dates listed in the Central Criminal Court. This represents a 43% increase over the past three years, and a 19% increase on 2023… There was also an increase in the number of cases being moved to venues outside of Dublin during 2024, with 855 Central Criminal Court sitting days listed outside of the capital during that period, a 65% increase on the preceding year.
Another key challenge that remained prominent throughout 2024 was the relentless growth in digital data, from mobile devices, social media platforms, and CCTV footage… There is a clear need to re-examine the policies and practices that underpin our current approach to disclosure. At present, the prosecution and investigators are tasked with reviewing extensive volumes of material to identify information that may be relevant to the defence, in the absence of any statutory obligation on the defence to engage in this process… Achieving meaningful and lasting improvements in data management and disclosure practices will require a sustained, collaborative effort across the entire criminal justice system.”
As we reflect on five decades of prosecutorial independence, the Office of the DPP reaffirms its mission to deliver an independent, fair and effective prosecution service on behalf of all the people of Ireland.
The full Annual Report 2024 for the Office of the DPP is now available to view/download from this website, www.dppireland.ie.
For media enquiries, please contact Orlagh Flood, Head of Governance & Public Affairs, by email media.liaision@dppireland.ie.
ENDS
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NOTE TO EDITORS: About the Office of the DPP: The Director of Public Prosecutions, Catherine Pierse, is independent in the performance of her functions. The duties of the Director are to:
Click here to learn more about the work of the Office of the DPP. Click here to read more about the 50th anniversary of the Office and our specially commissioned book A History of the Office of the DPP: 1975-2025 Click here to access our suite of Plain English information booklets |