I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I am seeking an update on two matters relating to the Dublin drug treatment court. The Minister of State will be aware that a review of the Dublin drug treatment court pilot has recently been completed. I understand that the report and evaluation in this regard were sent to the Minister. When will the evaluation be published and made available to the public? In the aftermath of publication, what are the Department's plans to make the Dublin drug treatment court permanent and to expand the model nationwide? I anticipate that it will be expanded regionally in the first instance.

For those who are not aware of what the Dublin drug treatment court is, it is a court-supervised treatment programme for people whose offending is driven by drug addiction. It is a way of leading us from a judicial response to drug addiction to a more health-led response. It has the potential to break the cycle of addiction and crime. Instead of being sent to prison, offenders are placed on a structured and closely monitored recovery programme. This has been operating as a pilot programme since 2001. It works for participants who are over 17 years of age and who have committed an offence. Let us say a person shoplifts. That is a non-violent offence. They are shoplifting to feed their addiction. Participants must admit to that offence and commit to participating in the drug treatment court.

Under the court, people comply with very strict conditions around regular court appearances, drug testing, treatment and counselling and education and training. The court operates on Green Street. It is non-adversarial because the offenders are participating on a voluntary basis. As such, they have no need for legal representation. This system involves the Probation Service, An Garda Síochána, education services, welfare services and the court itself. The individual progresses, in a managed and supported way, away from addiction, crime and offending and towards addressing their addiction, achieving recovery, participating in education and training, rebuilding relationships and rebuilding their lives.

This really matters because the alternative to the drug treatment court is incarceration. Seven out of ten people in our prisons today have an addiction and six out of ten reoffend very shortly after being released. Sadly, many of those with addictions very quickly relapse or overdose when released from prison, doing themselves even further harm. Prison is not working for them. It is just compounding this cycle of addiction, offending and incarceration. This goes on and the cycle does not end. This really matters for those individuals, but it also matters for society.

I live close to Mountjoy Prison and the Dóchas Centre. I know there is a lot of opportunistic crime. Oftentimes, this would be somebody with an addiction being released from prison and on their way out opportunistically checking cars to see if they can get a bit of change or a bit of money to help themselves to their next fix. The drug treatment court actually makes communities safer because these individuals are admitting their offence. They are committing to a programme of treatment and recovery. They are participating in education and training. They are being supervised, helped and supported. This means that where they are back living in our communities they are being helped to do that in a meaningful way where they can participate in a healthy way for themselves but also for our communities and society.

In his response to my Commencement matter I hope the Minister of State might be able to share with the House when the evaluation will be published and what are the plans to make it a mainstream court and expand it regionally.

I thank Senator Fitzpatrick for raising this important matter. The Government is acutely aware of the real harm caused by drug misuse, which continues to impact individuals, families and communities across the country. The scourge of drugs presents serious challenges, not only to our health systems but also for the criminal justice system. For these reasons the drug treatment court represents an important and progressive intervention.

The drug treatment court is a supervised treatment, education and rehabilitation programme that provides an alternative to custodial sentences for persons found guilty of certain drug-related offences. The court was established in 2001 on a pilot basis as an alternative to custody for individuals whose offending behaviour is driven by an underlying drug dependency. It operates by way of a multidisciplinary team made up of staff from the HSE, An Garda Síochána, the Probation Service and the City of Dublin Education and Training Board, along with the Courts Service and the Judiciary.

Under the national drug strategy 2017 to 2025, steps to evaluate the drug treatment court and make recommendations on the future direction of the drug treatment courts nationwide are being undertaken. This action has been led by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in consultation with the Department of Health. The Centre for Justice Innovation was commissioned by the Department to carry out an evaluation of the court. The evaluation builds on the Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use recommendation that the State should adopt a comprehensive health-led response to drugs use. I can advise the House that the draft final report was received by the Department at the end of 2025 and shared with key stakeholders. The final report incorporating their feedback was received in February 2026 and is currently under consideration by the Department. The Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, expects to receive this report in the near future. The evaluation will provide an evidence base to inform policy development and decisions, including any consideration of the mainstreaming of funding and the wider roll-out of drug treatment courts.

The Government fully recognises the interest in expanding this model beyond its current operation. The Government also appreciates the desire to ensure that more individuals benefit from this approach, especially in areas where drug-related offending puts significant pressure on communities and the justice system. Any expansion, however, must be carefully planned and grounded in evidence. It should also be acknowledged that the rate of referrals to the drug treatment court is low and this is something that will need to be addressed going forward.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I fully accept, agree with and support the premise that any expansion needs to be grounded in evidence, properly planned and, more importantly, properly resourced. It has to be set up to succeed and we cannot set it up to fail. I ask the Minister of State to convey back to the Department that this drug treatment court has been a pilot since 2001. In case they need reminding, we are now in 2026, which is 25 years or a quarter of a century later. I think the drug treatment court has low referrals primarily because people do not know about it. It is not being spoken about and it is not being used as effectively as it could be. More importantly, I genuinely believe the citizens' assembly gave a direction to politicians. The last interim Oireachtas committee on drugs gave a direction. The Minister with responsibility for drugs is in the process of finalising a new drugs strategy. We are all committed to achieving a health-led response to drugs.

To achieve a health-led response to drugs, the drug treatment court can play a part. It is only a part. It is not all of the solution but it can help to bridge from where we are today - with a judicial response - to a more health-led one. I urge the Minister of State and the Department to do that. I believe that it reduces crime, saves lives and money. It breaks that cycle and it makes for safer communities.

As I outlined, the evaluation is currently under consideration by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. This will be a key step in deciding its future. The evaluation will provide an indication of what is working well and where improvements can be made. However, it is essential to proceed with this based on strong evidence and ensuring that the necessary supports are in place and available with all relevant services. The Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, will carefully consider the evaluation's recommendations and engage with relevant colleagues and stakeholders on the next steps. Consideration of resources, inter-agency co-ordination and the availability of the appropriate treatment services are necessary. The Department will work closely with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that any development of the drug treatment court is effective and sustainable. I assure the Senator that the Minister is committed to advancing approaches to reduce reoffending and support rehabilitation. We acknowledge the important work that has been undertaken to date by the drug treatment court.