Jim O'Callaghan

The increase of over €400 million will see an additional €363 million invested in current expenditure, rising to €5.46 billion, and an additional €40 million invested in capital expenditure, rising to €430 million.

Budget 2027 will see increased budgets for frontline justice services including An Garda Síochána, the Irish Prison Service and the Irish Courts Service. Setting aside accommodation savings, core Justice Sector funding is increasing by over 8 per cent in 2027.

The Garda budget will increase by €167 million (current €157 million, capital €10 million) to €2.758 billion, an increase of 6.4 per cent. This additional investment will support the recruitment of up to 1,000 Gardaí next year.

It will also support the further roll-out of body worn cameras to frontline Gardaí and the strengthening of training, including pursuits training. Funding for the Criminal Assets Bureau will increase by €1.9 million to €15.7 million.

A total of €686 million (current €591 million, capital €95 million) will be invested in the Irish Prison Service, which is an increase of €106m or 18 per cent (current €78 million, capital €28 million) on 2026. The allocation will support the recruitment of over 200 prison officers, investments in prison officer training and improvements to IT and digital infrastructure.

An allocation of approximately €1.5 million has been provided for the roll-out of electronic monitoring for certain cohorts of prisoners next year, while investment in prisoner care and rehabilitation will increase by 22 per cent to €66 million.

The prison capital budget will increase by 40 per cent from €68 million to €95 million. This will support the major prison building which aims to deliver 1,500 additional prison spaces by 2031. Among the significant prison building projects to be undertaken in 2027 are Midlands Prison (102 spaces), continued development of Castlerea Grove Phase 2 (126 spaces), Cloverhill D Wing Extension (270 spaces), Castlerea Harristown Block (68 spaces), and the Dóchas Rowan Yard Extension (52 spaces).

A total of €228 million (current €159 million, capital €69 million) will be invested in the Irish Courts Service in 2027.

There will be €14.5 million for reforms to the Civil Legal Aid scheme. This will include widening eligibility for civil legal aid, operated by the Legal Aid Board in line with the recommendations of the Civil Legal Aid Review. This will enable more people to seek justice and supports through the civil courts.

Funding has been increased to just over €84 million to support Cuan and services working to combat domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. This funding will provide more refuge spaces and safe accommodation for those fleeing domestic violence.

Additional highlights from Budget 2027 are:

Additional funding of €5.3 million for Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence (DSGBV) initiatives and for the associated agency, CUAN, bringing the total budget to €84.4 million.

An additional €11.5 million invested in youth justice initiatives, bringing total funding to almost €50 million.

Additional funding of €2.9 million for the Probation Service and support rehabilitation initiatives and supports for complex prisoner releases. This will bring Probation Service funding for 2027 to €72.5 million.

Additional funding of €2.8 million for the Office of the Director of Criminal Justice International Co-operation, which has responsibility for enforcing the EU’s e-Evidence Regulation and Directive, streamlining the process for EU law enforcement agencies to share evidence in criminal cases, and regulatory enforcement.

Allocation of €36 million to the Data Protection Commission, an increase of €3.6 million, to meet additional responsibilities including new EU digital regulation functions.

An additional €3.2 million in current funding will be allocated to Forensic Science Ireland, bringing total current funding for 2027 to €31.9 million.

Mr O’Callaghan said: “Budget 2027 will see increased and record investment to reduce and prevent crime, strengthen public safety, confront domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and to continue reforming Ireland’s asylum and migration laws.

“This budget will see this Government delivering more Gardaí on the streets and will support vital modernisation in An Garda Síochána, including the roll-out of body worn cameras and increased investment in cyber security and intelligence projects. Ensuring our citizens feel safe and are safe are key priorities for me. This budget delivers the resources needed to support An Garda Síochána’s critical work and to ensure that work is visible on our streets.

“Our increased capital investment will help deliver on my commitment to build 1,500 additional prison spaces by 2031. Significant projects will get underway next year in Castlerea Grove and Cloverhill prisons. We will strengthen our prison system through additional recruitment of prison offers and other key staff. It will also provide for the roll-out of electronic monitoring for certain cohorts of offenders.

“I have secured a historic investment in access to justice measures including €14.5 million in funding to commence the implementation of key Civil Legal Aid reforms, including increases to financial eligibility thresholds. I have secured a 67 per cent increase in funding to the Free Legal Advice Centres and €74.6 million has been secured for the Legal Aid Board. Overall, this represents an investment of over €90 million in access to justice initiatives, the highest investment in the history of the State in respect of civil legal aid.

“I am unwavering in my commitment to zero tolerance of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in our society. I secured more than €84 million to support Cuan and services working to combat DSGBV and the implementation of the Zero Tolerance Strategy. This funding will provide more refuge spaces and safe accommodation for those fleeing domestic violence.”