Tagging pilot to start later this year
Global security company Allied Universal Electronic Monitoring has been awarded a 12-month contract to implement a pilot project for the electronic monitoring of certain offenders.
A statement from the Department of Justice said that Minister Jim O'Callaghan's sign-off on the contract meant that tagging would start by the end of this year.
The contract, awarded after a tender process, started on 14 August and includes an option to extend for one further period of 12 months.
The minister says that the pilot phase will have the capacity to monitor between 90 and 150 individuals over a 12-month period.
Prisons pressure
The contract will allow for the use of between 30 and 50 tags, and it is anticipated that each tag may be used up to three times within a 12-month period.
Minister O'Callaghan said that tagging aimed to ease pressure on prison capacity while maintaining public safety.
“Public safety is a priority and considerations such as the profile of offender, nature, type, and seriousness of the offence will be evaluated when assessing suitability for electronic monitoring," he added.
Budget funding
Budget 2026 included €2.1 million for the project to allow for staffing, procurement, and other set-up costs.
A tender earlier this year was reported to have been cancelled after no suitable bids were received, with the competition re-advertised in March.
A previous tagging programme carried out by the Irish Prison Service was halted in 2021 over value-for-money concerns.