Prisoners will be tracked by satellite

Electronic tagging of prisoners will begin in the new year following the selection of a private security firm to run the programme.

The Irish Prison Service is due to sign a contract with Chubb Ireland that will see the company provide satellite tracking technology to keep tabs on prisoners away from jail.

Tagging will only be used in limited circumstances, primarily to monitor prisoners in hospital or convalescent homes and probably on just 10 to 15 at any one time, though the system is set up to handle 50. No decision has been made on the wider use of tagging.