A group of reformed drug addicts have "graduated" from a drugs rehabilitation scheme at a special court sitting in Dublin.
The five participants are among the first to benefit from a pilot scheme offering drug users a chance to get clean as an alternative to prison.
The group, all in their late twenties, received certificates from Judge Gerard Haughton at Richmond Courthouse acknowledging their successful completion of the scheme.
Dublin's Drugs Court programme, set up 18 months ago, offers drug addicts counselling, support, training and assessment supervised by a team of professionals.
Around 70 people aged 17 or over who have pleaded guilty to non-violent drug offences are taking part.
So far the programme has had 88 referrals. Of these 37 were deemed notsuitable, four are currently being assessed, 14 have been taken out of theprogramme, five have graduated and 28 are in various stages of the programme.
The first person to complete the scheme was a 32-year-old man, who was commended by Judge Haughton in March this year.
Today's participants, all from Dublin's north inner city, are the first to complete the scheme since March.