The Prosecution Policy Unit was formed within the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in the 1st quarter of 2008. Domestic, sexual and gender based violence have been identified as priority areas of prosecution policy. The development of policy guidelines providing detailed advice to Prosecutors on how to implement legislation on violence against women is on-going. The prosecution policy unit has made a submission on behalf of the Office to the National Strategy on domestic, sexual and gender based violence focussing on:

i. Improvements to current policies & procedures.

ii. Current & desirable points of interconnectivity with other State bodies & difficulties for the ODPP in interagency work.

iii. Proposals to improve the prevention, reduction & responses to these crimes.

The Head of Prosecution Policy attended the President's Forum on Domestic Violence at áras an Uachtaráin on October 1st 2008 and participated in the regional consultation on a national strategy on domestic/sexual and gender based violence at the end of November 2008.