Long-mooted electronic tagging for offenders delayed again 

Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan had previously promised that electronic tagging would be rolled out by the end of 2025 “at the very latest”, saying it was “embarrassing” that it had not been introduced earlier.

Plans for the introduction of electronic tagging for criminal offenders have been delayed again after a tender for the supply and management of monitors failed to attract any bid from prospective contractors.

Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan had previously promised that electronic tagging would be rolled out by the end of 2025 “at the very latest”, saying it was “embarrassing” that it had not been introduced earlier.

A €1.58m contract for up to 50 electronic monitors was put out to tender late last year for a 12-month pilot programme ahead of a full rollout.

However, the Department of Justice has confirmed that the procurement process was cancelled after the deadline passed without receiving any compliant responses.

The tender was re-advertised this week after a “small number” of changes to the technical specifications, with a new closing date of April 7, meaning electronic tagging is now unlikely to be introduced until the second half of this year at the earliest.

The implementation of electronic monitoring for certain categories of offenders was a commitment contained in the Programme for Government, and has been touted as a key measure to relieve overcrowding in prisons.

Tender documents also highlight its potential impact in reducing recidivism, and point to recommendations regarding alternatives to detention made by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture.

Prospective contractors will be required to supply 30 electronic monitors for the pilot programme initially, with the option of acquiring another 20. They will be used to monitor compliance with movement restrictions, exclusion zones, and other conditions imposed by courts or the prison service.

“It is anticipated that electronic monitoring will serve as a tool to support relevant agencies and authorities within the Irish criminal justice sector in managing certain individuals in the community under defined conditions as an alternative to imprisonment, while also enabling them to safeguard public safety,” the tender states.

The supplier will also be responsible for maintaining the monitors, engaging with agencies and tagged offenders, developing procedures, supplying trained personnel, and operating a 24/7 call centre.

Mr O’Callaghan criticised former justice minister Helen McEntee for her failure to introduce electronic tagging during the last general election. He said there was a responsibility on the minister to implement the scheme, as legislation was already in place.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice confirmed that the last tender competition had been cancelled after the deadline passed without “any compliant responses” being received.

“The department has made a small number of changes to the technical specification and has now re-issued the [request for tenders],” he said.

“The Programme for Government commits to implement electronic tagging for appropriate categories of prisoners. Work is underway to operationalise electronic monitoring in line with existing legislative provisions, with a pilot phase expected to be operational in 2026.”