Taoiseach Bertie Ahern ruled out introducing legislation to amend the functions of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
However, Mr Ahern said he was aware that the DPP was examining whether there might be scope for giving greater information about decisions relating to prosecutions to victims of crime.
"An obvious difficulty is that in the event that reasons are given privately to victims, this information may be subsequently disclosed in public. It is the practice of the office of the DPP to give the Garda a full account of the reasons for prosecutional decisions." He stressed that his role regarding the DPP was administrative and he had no function in how the DPP acted in cases.
The Taoiseach was replying to Labour Justice spokesman Joe Costello, who asked if the Prosecution of Offences Act 1974, setting up the office and functions of the DPP, could be reviewed to ensure that matters of public concern arising from the DPP's performance of his duties were clarified. "An amendment to the Act would not be necessary to enable the DPP to make statements of clarification to victims, or to the public at large, on matters of general public concern."
Mr Costello said it was 30 years since the office was established. "It was set up to ensure independence in prosecutions, but there is also a need for accountability and transparency in prosecutional decisions made by the DPP. Such a need does not exist in Britain, where the attorney general, who is a member of parliament, regularly comes into the House of Commons and answers questions."
He said that while he welcomed the fact that the DPP was seeking to determine whether there was scope for providing extra information, the legislation provided for consultations between the DPP and the Attorney General. That might be a useful avenue of exploration in terms of opening up the decision-making process within the office of the DPP and providing a mechanism to release information.
