Thurles Information

• Funding secured to support safer communities and modernised immigration system.
• €2.5 billion for An Garda Síochána – over half a billion euro increase on 2020.
• DSGBV funding trebled.
• €3.2m to support Youth Justice Strategy including two new Youth Diversion Programmes.

A record €3.61 billion for current expenditure and €310 million for capital investment was allocated in the budget yesterday, for the Justice sector, which will be targeted to enhance public safety, improve crime prevention, ensure safe prisons, and drive end-to-end modernisation across Ireland’s immigration systems.

The major investment of almost €4 billion across the Justice Sector, will equip front-line Gardaí with the necessary tools and resources to strengthen crime prevention and detection; support the rollout of 36 Community Safety Partnerships nationwide; and strengthen efforts under the Zero Tolerance Strategy to combat domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence (DSGBV). In addition, significant funding is allocated for targeted road safety initiatives and to recruit additional prison staff and alleviate the acute pressures of overcrowding within our prisons.

A key focus in this Budget is on the reforming of family law. Over €11m has been allocated to increase staff and improve our Courts Service. An additional €3m will enable the use of expert reports as outlined in the Family Justice Strategy to ensure the voice of each child impacted by family break ups can be heard and to safeguard their needs within the justice system. Through the enactment of the Family Courts Bill, the Minister will move to establish the Family District Court, the Family Circuit Court and the Family High Court, in order to transform our family justice system and make it more user friendly for families.

Budget Highlights

An Garda Síochána.

• Garda funding has increased by over €500m (up 27% since 2020), bringing the total budget to €2.48 billion.
• This will provide funding to recruit between 800 and 1,000 new Gardaí, along with 150 Garda staff and move towards 1,000 Garda reserves.
• Garda overtime has been boosted by 13%, rising to €150 million, to enhance high-visibility policing efforts and serious crime investigation.
• The Garda trainee allowance will have almost doubled to €354 per week, effective from 1st October 2024 (up from €184 in 2023).
• €1.5 million has been allocated for Garda workforce wellbeing measures, including medical expenses.
• €5m to be provided for Public Order Units including two new water cannons, crowd control barriers, expansion of the dog unit and more body armour for frontline Gardaí.
• €9 million in additional funding to enhance road safety.

Capital Investments.

• €100m of funding for ICT to equip Gardaí with the necessary tools to enhance crime prevention and detection, including Body-Worn cameras and the development of a digital evidence management system which will facilitate the nationwide roll-out of body worn cameras and the introduction of facial recognition technology.
• €62m investment in the Garda estate across the country with major projects progressed in 2025 including Portlaoise, Macroom, Clonmel and Newcastlewest.
• Fleet upgrades, including new public order vehicles and investment in a range of specialist vehicles to support modern policing.
• The delivery of a new helicopter in Q1 2025 for the important work of the Garda Air Support Unit.

Domestic, Sexual, and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV) & Community Safety.

• DSGBV funding is increasing to €70m. This is more than treble the funding for DSGBV services when Minister McEntee first became Minister for Justice, and a further significant increase for 2025.
• Increased funding for Cuan to €67m including additional resources to support the implementation of the Zero Tolerance strategy, with funding for 80 additional refuge spaces.
• €800k for Cuan will provide for research and data analytics to develop an impact-led approach for evidence and knowledge development to achieve effective DSGBV prevention, protection, prosecution, and policy co-ordination.
• A further targeted open call will be launched in 2025 to allow services to come forward with proposals.
• €9.5 million allocated for nationwide Community Safety Partnerships and the establishment of a National Office for Community Safety and the Community Safety Innovation Fund.
• An expanded Youth Justice Strategy with an increase of total funding by €3.2m and 10.8% bringing the total to €33 million.

Prisons and Probation.

• Record funding of €525m has been secured to increase prison capacity and tackle overcrowding. This is an increase of €79m or 18%.
• Recruitment of 150 Prison Officers in addition to the 240 Prison Officers recruited in 2024.
• An additional €6.2 million to fund 130,000 additional staff hours in our Prisons.
• €53m in Capital Funding which will provide for the completion of 155 new prison spaces by the end of 2024 as part of a programme of works.
• The Probation Service will receive an additional €4 million bringing the total budget to over €60m to expand crime diversion programmes, support step down facilities, restorative justice, and community-based alternatives to imprisonment.

Immigration Modernisation.

• €25m package for end-to-end investment in the immigration system including Service Delivery, International Protection Office, International Protection Appeals Tribunal and the Legal Aid Board. €2m is provided for ICT capital expenditure.
• Significant additional resources will be directed to streamline the international protection process, with approximately 400 further staff to be recruited. This will provide for over 25,000 IPO decisions compared to over 14,000 cases in 2024.
• Included in the package is €5m in increased investment in digital systems to modernise immigration systems, reduce processing times, increase removals (including with a new charter plane service), and strengthen border security.
• Readiness work for the introduction of the EU Asylum and Migration Pact requirements in 2026.

Courts.

• €11.1m to Courts Service which will include 50 additional staff to support the expanding Judiciary bringing its budget to over €195m.
• This funding will help reduce backlogs and ensure quicker administration of justice.
• It includes €2m to support modernisation measures including outsourced jury minding to free up thousands of Garda hours for frontline policing services.
• Separately, an additional funding of €3m is to provide a pilot project to support the voice of children in family justice proceedings, including the recruitment of 8 staff as well as other services to assist in these proceedings.
• The budget for criminal legal aid will increase in 2025 by over €9m which will include an 8% increase in fees from 1 January 2025. This is in addition to the 10% increase in fees secured in Budget 2024.

Funding the Transformation resulting from the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024.

• A total funding package of €28m provided for new bodies including Fiosrú (replacing GSOC), the Policing and Community Safety Authority, and the Office of the Independent Examiner.
• Together with 36 Community Safety Partnerships nationwide and the National Office of Community Safety will strengthen effective cross-agency working in partnership with local communities on public safety.