Carol Nolan
Question:
606. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice the reason her Department in consultation with the Irish Prison Service decided to end the use of electronic tagging; the number of prisoners tagged since 2018; the total cost of the contract awarded to the private security company engaged to provide the service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4732/22]
View answer
It has not been possible to obtain the information requested by the Deputy in the time permitted. Relevant information has been sought and I will send it to the Deputy directly when it has been compiled.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51
I refer to Parliamentary Question 606 for written reply on 1 February 2022 requesting “the reason that her Department in consultation with the Irish Prison Service decided to end the use of electronic tagging; the number of prisoners tagged since 2018; the total cost of the contract awarded to the private security company engaged to provide the service; and if she will make a statement on the matter”.
I committed in my initial response to the Deputy that I would contact her when the information was to hand and in that regard I apologise for the delay in responding.
However, I can advise the Deputy that in total, 151 prisoners have been electronically monitored since the programme was introduced and that 37 prisoners have been electronically monitored since 2018.
The total cost of electronic monitoring is included in the table below.
|
Year
|
Cost
|
|
2014
|
€73,961
|
|
2015
|
€153,682
|
|
2016
|
€129,708
|
|
2017
|
€166,117
|
|
2018
|
€221,790
|
|
2019
|
€166,538
|
|
2020
|
€139,512
|
|
2021
|
€34,451
|
|
Total
|
€1,085,759
|
I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service published a tender for the provision of electronic tagging and monitoring of prisoners in 2019. I am advised that one response was received from the incumbent company, which met all technical and operational criteria as outlined in the tender documentation. However, a submission recommending discontinuing the use of electronic monitoring, due to a number of factors, including the assessment in terms of the overall value for money, was carefully considered and decision not to proceed to tender award stage was communicated to the tender applicant in January 2021.
As the Deputy may be aware, the Criminal Justice Act 2006 contains provisions for the introduction of Electronic Monitoring in this jurisdiction. Section 108 makes provision for an order for electronic monitoring in the context of a restriction of movement condition applying to the granting of temporary release.
In addition, the Government recently approved my proposal to publish the Sex Offenders (Amendment) Bill 2021, which has since passed second stage in the Dáil.
As drafted, this bill includes provision for a court to order an electronic monitoring device for a convicted sex offender who is subject to a post-release supervision order, or a sex offender order, that includes a condition restricting the offender's movement, post release.
The Deputy may wish to note that the operational details of how this will work will have to be carefully developed and take account of the costs, value for money, in the context of the technology’s relatively limited effectiveness, as well as the Council of Europe Guidelines.
The aim is to provide our courts with a range of appropriate tools and interventions to monitor and reduce the risks posed by sex offenders, to facilitate rehabilitation and to protect the public.
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 and this is what I am proposing in the Bill.
As a technology, it has advanced over the years, but not all of its limitations have yet been overcome and I envisage therefore that a pilot scheme will be introduced to explore its costs and benefits once the legislation is in place. I will kept this matter under review.
I trust this clarifies the situation in regards to this matter.
