Minister Signs Contract To Introduce Electronic Monitoring Pilot For Offenders
Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan has signed a contract to tag specific categories of offenders, with between 90 and 150 monitored under a 12-month pilot.
The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O'Callaghan, has signed the contract to implement electronic monitoring for specific categories of offenders, with the project set to commence this year on a 12-month pilot basis.
The contract has been awarded to Allied Universal Electronic Monitoring. Awarding the contract paves the way for the work needed to commence tagging by the end of this year.
The project supports the Minister's commitment under the Programme for Government to implement electronic monitoring for appropriate cohorts of offenders.
Jim O'Callaghan, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration:
"Since taking office I committed to the introduction of electronic tagging for a certain cohort of offenders and this contract brings this commitment to fruition. It is also a commitment in the Programme for Government which aims to alleviate pressure on prison capacity while maintaining public safety.
Public safety is a priority and considerations such as the profile of offender, nature, type and seriousness of the offence will be evaluated when assessing suitability for electronic monitoring.
It is used in many jurisdictions as an additional tool to support the management and monitoring of offenders. The pilot phase will have the capacity to monitor between 90 and 150 individuals over a 12-month period."
Minister O'Callaghan secured funding of €2.1m in Budget 2026 for the project, to allow for staffing, procurement, and other set up costs.
The Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration held a competition to award the contract, by way of a Request for Tender, for the provision of an Electronic Monitoring Managed Service for the Electronic Monitoring Pilot Programme. The competition was advertised on 04 March 2026 and closed on 14 April 2026.
Three tenders were received. Following an evaluation process, the tender from Allied Universal Electronic Monitoring was deemed the most economically advantageous and was awarded the contract.
The new contract commenced on 14 August 2026 and has a duration of 12 months, with an option to extend for a further 12-month period.
The contract will allow for the use of between 30 and 50 tags, with each tag anticipated to be used up to three times within a 12-month period. The exact number of people monitored will depend on a range of factors, including individuals' personal circumstances, their ongoing suitability, and compliance with conditions.
The pilot programme will become operational later this year and will be rolled out on a phased basis.