Overview of the White Paper on Crime process

A White Paper provides a high level statement of government policy, its rationale and the strategies to give effect to that policy.

The development of a White Paper on Crime will be the first of its kind and the first major official examination of the overall approach to dealing with crime since the report of the National Crime Forum (1998) and the 'Tackling Crime' discussion paper (1997).

The last decade has been marked by wide-ranging legislative and organisational changes in the Irish criminal justice system, accompanied by unprecedented resource allocation in measures to combat and prevent crime.

Huge progress has been made across the board and the depth of the response to this complex issue has grown significantly. Many individual issues in the field have also been the subject of detailed study during this time and this work will inform the development of the White Paper.

Notwithstanding the progress made, crime remains a real and persistent problem and a subject of legitimate concern to many individuals and communities.

Against this background and in the context of ongoing social and cultural change in Irish society, it is timely and necessary to assess the systems and measures in place to prevent and combat crime and to plan for future policy development.

Consultation has played a key role in the preparation of the White Paper and has taken a variety of formats, so as to achieve an extensive and inclusive range of input. Members of the public, together with the relevant public agencies and other interested bodies have contributed comprehensively to the policy’s formulation.