Budget 2027: Funding for 1,000 additional gardaí and 200 prison officers

Budget 2027 also includes funding for youth justice, domestic violence initiatives, courts modernisation and alternatives to prison

A €6.1bn defence package will also support the recruitment of 850 new Permanent Defence Force members next year.

Funding for an additional 1,000 gardaí and 200 prison officers is included in the justice allocation announced as part of Budget 2027.

A €6.1bn defence package will also support the recruitment of 850 new Permanent Defence Force members next year.

Justice minister Jim O'Callaghan has secured €5.3m for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence initiatives, while €11.5m will be invested in youth diversion programmes and other youth justice measures aimed at preventing young people from becoming involved in crime and antisocial behaviour.

Overall, the Department of Justice will receive an additional €363m in current spending and €40m in capital funding.

International protection and courts

A total of €946m has been allocated in contingency funding for international protection and Ukraine accommodation in 2027, representing a significant reduction from previous years in line with policy changes.

The Courts Service will receive €159m as part of a 10-year modernisation programme, including €10m to fund an increase in the number of judges.

A further €1.7m will be provided for interpretation and translation services in the courts, as well as intermediaries for vulnerable witnesses.

Probation Service investment

Meanwhile, an additional €2.9m investment in the Probation Service will support the expansion of community-based alternatives to custodial sentences to help ease prison overcrowding.