Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 January 2026
723. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of prosecutions per annum under the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020 since its enactment, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3600/26]
View answerAn operational review of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020, also known as Coco’s Law, was published by my Department in 2024. The review found that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) had taken a total of 99 cases in respect of section 2, 3 or 4 of the Act between its commencement (in 2021) and the end of 2023.
This included:
• A total of 23 cases prosecuted on indictment in the Circuit Court
• The DPP consented to summary disposal on guilty plea for eight cases
• The DPP directed summary disposal on 68 cases
• One case was prosecuted on indictment in the Central Criminal Court
The review was carried out by my Department and found positive early indicators in terms of prosecutions taken, the number of reports of intimate image abuse made to a hotline for illegal content, and general awareness of the legislation.
The review is available at www.gov.ie/en/publication/dd498-review-of-harassment-harmful-communications-and-related-offences-act-2020
In relation to the specific data sought by the Deputy, prosecutions are a matter for the Office of the DPP, who is fully independent in her functions. As Minister, I have no role in the operations, functions, governance or oversight of the Office of the DPP and, as a result, I am unable to provide information or statistics relating to the Director's work, as requested.
