Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 May 2026
131. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the options, if any, he is considering to increase the use of community service and effective restorative justice to alleviate the current overcrowding in our prison system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35451/26]
View answerI am committed to progressing and implementing policies aimed at increasing the use of effective community sanctions that reduce offending, divert people away from criminal behaviour, and support sustainable rehabilitation.
Budget 2026 provides for a 13% increase in funding for the Probation Service. This additional funding will be used to increase use of supervised community sanctions in the criminal courts, expand restorative justice services, and expand supervised temporary release schemes nationally.
In April 2025, I approved the publication of the Probation Service’s Community Service - New Directions Implementation Plan 2025-2027. Work is also underway to develop a pilot bail support policy as an alternative to being detained in custody while awaiting trial or sentencing.
On 9 January, I published the Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provision) Bill, which completed second stage on 22 January 2026. The Bill proposes amendments to the Community Service Act 1983 to support and encourage greater use of Community Service Orders (CSOs). It includes an amendment to oblige the courts to consider a CSO in lieu of a prison sentence of up to 24 months’ duration (the current such threshold being 12 months) and to give reasons where they consider that a CSO should not be imposed in such a case. It will further amend sections 3 and 5 of the 1983 Act to increase the maximum number of community service hours that a judge may order from 240 to 480.
Restorative justice is also a key component of this work, and evidence shows that this practice can support victims to recover from the impact of a crime, as well as serving to reduce re-offending.
In April 2025, I approved the publication of the Probation Service’s Action Plan - "Restoring Relationships: Repairing Harm and Empowering Voices through Restorative Justice" which runs from 2025 to 2027. This plan is designed to promote awareness and support increased use of restorative justice across the system. The plan also commits the Probation Service to driving the integration of restorative justice into all its services, while also expanding it nationally.
The Service provides restorative justice nationally, and also through a number of Community Based Organisations (CBOs), which provide dedicated restorative justice programmes across 24 counties. The Probation Service also funds other CBOs which use restorative practice in their work with clients, to promote respectful relationships, and acknowledge and address the harm caused by their offending. The Service, through its national Restorative Justice and Victim Services Unit, also supports the integration of Restorative Justice models into practice across the country. This includes victim empathy programmes, family restorative conferences, reparation projects, and victim-offender dialogues.
I’m advised that the Service has recently concluded a call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) from CBOs which are interested and capable of employing dedicated Restorative Justice project workers to deliver restorative justice services in Donegal, Sligo, Louth, Cavan and Monaghan. The Service will also be conducting EOI competitions in 2026 to further expand its services including in South Tipperary.
I’m advised that the Probation Service recently ran a call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) from CBOs that are interested and capable of employing a dedicated Restorative Justice project worker to deliver restorative justice services in Waterford. When the EOI process is concluded and the service is in place, this will bring to 25 the number of counties in which The Probation Service funded community-based RJ services are available.
