McEntee confirms that prisoners on release are not being tagged due to cost

Almost €1.1m was spent on the electronic tagging of prisoners since 2014 before the practice was halted last year amid concerns about value for money. File picture: Pascal Rossignol/Reuters

The electronic tagging of criminals while out on temporary release from prison is not being used for financial reasons, Justice Minister Helen McEntee has admitted.

The Department of Justice has confirmed that electronic tagging is not currently being used as an alternative to keeping offenders in prison.

Ms McEntee said the reason was due to “cost considerations and limited use”.

Figures published earlier this year showed almost €1.1m was spent on the electronic tagging of prisoners since 2014 before the Irish Prison Service (IPS) stopped using the measure last year over concerns about value for money.

They showed the average cost of tagging a prisoner between 2018 and 2021 was almost €15,200 — up from just €4,591 in the period 2014-2017.

In response to a parliamentary question from independent Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath, the minister said a total of 151 prisoners have been electronically monitored to date since the introduction of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 which allowed for the measure in relation to the temporary release of prisoners.

However, the majority of cases involving the use of electronic tagging occurred between 2013 and 2017, with falling numbers in recent years.

Helen McEntee acknowledged that the use of electronic tagging for the temporary release of prisoners has only been used “in limited circumstances” to date by the IPS.

Mr McGrath had questioned the delay in the commencing legislation that allows for the electronic tagging of criminals who are on bail or who are subject to orders restricting their movement.

Electronic tagging has been used by the IPS since 2014 to monitor prisoners granted temporary release as part of the Community Return/Community Support Scheme as well as for monitoring some prisoners who are patients in hospitals.

However, Ms McEntee stressed the electronic tagging of prisoners had its limitations.

It is important to note that while electronic monitoring can serve a useful purpose, it does not in and of itself, prevent the commission of a crime. 

“It is not a real-time surveillance system but primarily a means of checking compliance with any conditions of temporary release.”

Ms McEntee said electronic tagging, if it is to be used, should be considered in conjunction with various other ways of engaging with and monitoring peoplewhether they are on probation, bail, or temporary early release.

She noted that the Government had also recently approved the publication of a bill which would, if passed, allow a court to order an electronic monitoring device to be fitted to a convicted sex offender as part of a post-release supervision order or some order which includes a condition restricting their movement.

She said the aim of the Sex Offenders (Amendment) Bill 2021 was to provide the courts with a range of appropriate tools and interventions to allow for the monitoring of sex offenders in order to reduce any potential risk they posed as well as to facilitate their rehabilitation.

“There is some evidence that electronic monitoring can be effective in respect of sex offenders when used for a short duration in tandem with other interventions such as probation supervision,” she said.

Ms McEntee said she envisaged a pilot programme would be introduced once the legislation is passed which would examine its costs and benefits.

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However, she stressed that the operational details of the electronic tagging of sex offenders would have to be carefully developed and would need to “take account of the costs and value for money in the context of the technology’s overall effectiveness.” 

A pilot programme for the electronic tagging of prisoners in 2010 was beset by equipment malfunctioning.

There are currently around 1,700 individuals on the register of sex offenders in Ireland.

The IPS announced in April 2019 that it was providing a budget of €680,000 over the following two years for the tagging and monitoring of prisoners allowed out of jail on temporary release.

However, the only bid to operate the monitoring services was by the same company that was already providing the IPS with electronic tags.

The IPS in conjunction with the Department of Justice subsequently took the decision in January 2021 not to renew the contract.