Minister has no role in prosecution decisions

PERHAPS you would permit me to correct two errors in your reporting of comments of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in Dáil Éireann on March 5 (‘Ahern refuses to explain dropped case’, March 6).

The headline and first paragraph of your report give the completely wrong impression as to how the criminal justice system works. The fact is that decisions on whether or not to initiate, or continue, a criminal prosecution are matters solely for the Director of Public Prosecutions who is the independent prosecution authority in the State.

The minister has no role whatsoever in this process. Indeed it would be highly improper for the minister to seek to influence in any way decisions of the DPP in criminal cases.

This is something which successive Ministers for Justice, Equality and Law Reform have explained on numerous occasions, inside and outside the Dáil.

Therefore, there can be no question of the minister being in a position to explain why the case was dropped, let alone refusing to do so.

I would also like to correct the statement that the minister has received an interim report from the Garda Ombudsman’s office.

As the minister informed the Dáil during the debate, he received an interim report from the Garda Commissioner in the case. That interim report was passed to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.

Mary Jordan

Press Officer

Department of Justice

Equality and Law Reform

St Stephen’s Green

Dublin 2