Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 October 2025
236. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to outline the funding for the Bail Supervision Service in Budget 2026; the funding allocated to the service in 2025; if there is funding for new measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55664/25]
View answerThe Bail Supervision Scheme (BSS) offers courts an alternative option to remanding a young person to detention by providing them with the possibility of granting bail with intensive supervision supports. The scheme both reduces the need for remand places and also provides an opportunity to focus on developing successful community resources designed to prevent young people from engaging in criminality.
A multi-systemic therapeutic team work with the young person and their primary caregiver, to facilitate pro-social change in the young person while ensuring they remain at home and engage with education, training or work. An evaluation of BSS published in 2019 found a 72% reduction in reoffending among participants.
The programme currently covers the greater Dublin area, Cork and Limerick.
Funding for the scheme is provided by my Department, with €2,120,000 allocated in the youth justice subhead for 2025. This funding was allocated as a grant to Extern Ireland and used primarily for their own pay and service delivery costs. The funding allocation for BSS for 2026 is still under consideration.
It is intended for oversight of the Bail Supervision Scheme to transfer to the Probation Service in January 2026, and funding has also been provided to the Probation Service to provide the initial staffing for the scheme within its 2026 funding allocation.
Investment in youth justice services remains a key priority for this Government, and I am committed to ensuring children engaged in criminality, and those at risk of becoming involved in criminality, are supported to deist from offending behaviour. In Budget 2025, an additional €3.2 million was provided for Youth Justice initiatives, bringing the total allocation to over €36 million.
A significant allocation of €7.3 million in additional core exchequer funding for Youth Justice measures was announced as part of Budget 2026.
