2165. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will consider removing responsibility for the preparation and prosecution of District Court matters from members of An Garda Síochána, expanding the role and resources of the State prosecutions service to assume these functions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60102/26]

While the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI) recommended that responsibility for the prosecution of offences should be removed from the Gardaí, the Government sought a further evaluation of its implications, including the impact on resources.

That subsequent evaluation, which was undertaken by a ‘High-Level Review Group’ (HLRG), concluded that the CoFPI change was not appropriate and recommended, instead, the implementation of what they termed the “Reform Model”. Under the Reform Model, the HLRG recommended that An Garda Síochána retain responsibility for the conduct of prosecutions in court. The HLRG also recommended that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) be supported in substantially enhancing quality assurance of the prosecution functions by An Garda Síochána in the name of the DPP.

A Summary Prosecution Reform Steering Committee was then established, under the auspices of the Department of the Taoiseach, to drive forward the detailed design and implementation of the Reform Model and this work is continuing.

The composition of the High-level Review Group is listed in the Report of the High Level Review Group on the Role of An Garda Síochána in the Public Prosecution System (www.gov.ie/en/department-of-justice-home-affairs-and-migration/publications/report-of-the-high-level-review-group-on-the-role-of-an-garda-s%C3%ADoch%C3%A1na-in-the-public-prosecution-system/). As the Deputy will note, the Group comprised representatives from a wide range of interested parties bringing considerable experience and expertise to bear on the Group's deliberations.