Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan has committed to implementing electronic tagging for monitoring people convicted of crimes or awaiting trial later this year, calling the long delay in utilizing existing legislation “embarrassing.”
Speaking to the Irish Prison Officers’ Association in Galway, O’Callaghan pledged that a new electronic tagging system would be operational following the completion of procurement procedures. “I have asked my officials to complete the necessary procurement requirements with urgency so an initial rollout of electronic tagging can be expected by the end of the year at the very latest,” the minister stated.
Although laws permitting electronic tagging have existed in Ireland since 2007, the system has had a limited history of implementation. The Irish Prison Service briefly utilized electronic tags between 2013 and 2018 before discontinuing the program due to reported value-for-money concerns. During that period, over 100 people were monitored via electronic tags, primarily convicted prisoners on temporary release, with a third-party managing the system.
The new electronic tagging regime is expected to be controlled and monitored directly by the state, with relevant protocols and procedures currently under discussion among Department of Justice officials.
“There are a number of scenarios currently covered by legislation which allow for electronic tagging. Provisions which allow for tagging of people on temporary release and in some cases, people on bail, have the potential to tackle overcrowding,” O’Callaghan added.
Electronic monitoring technology, typically worn as an ankle bracelet, has been widely used in other jurisdictions including the UK, various EU member states, and the United States for nearly two decades as an alternative to incarceration or as a condition of release.