Plan to expand drug courts is shelved

PLANS to extend the drug court system nationwide have been put on hold because Government officials believe it has not been successful.

The system, which deals with drug abusers by offering rehabilitation instead of jail, has resulted in just five offenders successfully completing their sentence.

A drug court has been running in Dublin’s north inner city for over a year on a pilot basis. Former Justice Minister John O’Donoghue, who launched the initiative in early 2001, said it would be extended nationwide if it proved successful.