McEntee welcomes Justice measures in Budget 2024

Minister for Justice and Meath East TD, Helen McEntee has welcomed the €2.3bn budget for An Garda Síochána - a €172m increase on 2023.

Among the new measures are:

· Funding for Garda Vote up 23% (€430m) since 2020 to €2.3 billion.

· Recruitment of between 800 and 1,000 new Gardaí and 250 additional Garda staff in 2024

· A 25 per cent increase – up from €105 million to €131 million - in Garda overtime to support high visibility policing to tackle anti-social behaviour in our towns and cities

· 66% increase in training allowance (to €305 per week)

· €6m provided for wellbeing initiatives, medical costs and over 2,500 units of body armour.

Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence and Community Safety

· €12m increase in funding for Zero Tolerance strategy, including a new DSGBV agency, and support for the delivery of refuge accommodation

· An increase of €3.5m to a total of €7.9m for community safety initiatives including establishment of partnerships nationwide and a National Coordination Office

· A further €2.9m (+10%) in funding for Youth Justice Strategy bringing the total budget to over €33m

· €3.6m in additional funding for GoSafe speed cameras with a further €0.5m investment in CCTV schemes

Prisons/Probation

· Irish Prisons Service budget increased by over €27m to €439m

· An extra €9m in staffing to provide for 65,000 additional hours to deal with the current pressures and the recruitment of more prison officers.

· €2.5m additional allocation for the Probation Service will fund expansion of JARC (joint agency response to crime), community service and restorative justice, providing effective alternatives to prison

Other

· €9m to make progress in restoring criminal legal aid fees with a 10% increase in early 2024. Following the Budget, more work will be undertaken with the legal professions on further strengthening criminal legal aid.

· €1.4 million to provide courts staffing to support the additional judges nominated by the Government

· €21m to further accelerate International Protection processing, with 125 additional staff to be recruited by end 2024. €6m to continue the response to the war in Ukraine.

· €5.5m to the Legal Aid Board to recruit new staff, increase investment in ICT and provide for additional costs directly related to the increase in immigration applications.

· €2.2m to support victims of crime including the “Know your Rights” campaign and implementation of the new Human Trafficking Action Plan.

· €4m for first year of new Gambling Regulatory Authority

The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee today welcomed the significant increase in Budget allocation of over €3.27 billion in current expenditure plus €274m for capital projects for the Justice sector in 2024, with a particular focus on building stronger, safer communities.

"This unprecedented budget will strengthen the work of An Garda Síochána and the criminal justice sector to prevent and detect crime and protect communities; allow for the establishment of the new statutory agency to support victims and work to eliminate domestic, sexual and gender-based violence; and fund the nationwide rollout of Community Safety Partnerships.

Budget 2024 continues to build investment in diverting young people away from involvement in crime, to make youth diversion projects available in every community in Ireland for the first time, with an increased focus on weekend activities and marginalised young people.

"It will also invest in our prisons, including new staff in a number of areas such as a Rapid Prison Building Unit to drive the Government’s intention to provide over 400 new prison spaces over the next 5 years.

"It also supports the development of effective alternatives to prison through a number of multi-agency projects which will also assist in dealing with the acute pressures in the prison system.

"Funding continues to grow in respect of the Department of Justice work in responding to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and in processing increased applications for international protection. Making more decisions and adjudicating on appeals quicker, while maintaining fair procedures, delivers for customers and relieves pressure elsewhere, supporting a balanced system.

"Budget 2024 supports the rollout of critical modernisation and digitisation needs across the Justice sector and facilitates further growth of the Data Protection Commission to safeguard people’s privacy.

Minister McEntee continued:

“My top priority is building stronger, safer communities and that is reflected in the budget announced today for An Garda Síochána, which has grown by more than half a billion euros since I took office in 2020.

“The year to date has seen three classes of recruits entering Templemore to begin their training as Gardaí and that will continue with new cohorts entering their training next week and in December. Budget 2024 provides the funding to continue this growth and ongoing recruitment throughout 2024 will see between 800 and 1,000 new trainees enter the Garda College.

“To ensure this, I am particularly pleased that today’s Budget funds an increase in the Garda trainee allowance to €305 – a two-thirds increase on the current level in place since 2011 These increased payments will begin on 1 January, but with a backdated lump sum payment in January for those in the college between now and January.

“A new Garda recruitment campaign will open shortly, and in early 2024 An Garda Síochána will launch a new recruitment campaign for the Garda Reserve – the first such recruitment campaign since 2017.

“More Gardaí proactively patrolling in our cities, towns and rural areas as well more Garda staff, maintains law and order and makes everyone feel safer. A 25% increase in Garda Overtime for 2024 will allow for continued high visibility policing, and the recruitment of 250 additional Garda staff will make sure that Garda members are freed up for frontline duties.

“Protecting our citizens is much wider than policing, and I want to empower communities to have a say in matters relating to their own safety. In 2024, total funding of €7.9m will create a new National Office for Community Safety, and roll out Community Safety Partnerships to plan the community’s own safety priorities in every area of the country. I am really pleased that the Community Safety Innovation Fund, which reinvests the proceeds of crime as seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau, has been increased to €3.75m.