‘Full restoration’ of criminal legal-aid fees in 2026
The Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration has given more details of how the €6.17 billion allocated to the justice sector in Budget 2026 will be used.
The total represents an increase of 1.1% compared with 2025. While just under €5.8 billion in current spending is 2.7% higher, the €390 million allocated for capital investment is down almost 18% compared with the previous year.
Total spending for the courts is up 8% to just under €215 million, with €17.5 million of this for capital spending.
Extra judges
The increase of €10.7 million in current spending is mainly for additional staff in the Courts Service to support the judiciary and the appointment of 20 additional judges in 2026.
The budget for the Judicial Appointments Commission is increased by €300,000 – Chief Justice Donal O’Donnell had called earlier this week for additional staff for the body.
The department also said that an increased allocation of €123 million (up €27 million) would allow for the full restoration of Criminal Legal Aid fees in 2026.
The 6% increase in capital spending for the courts includes the expected start of construction of the Dublin family-court complex at Hammond Lane in late 2026.
The Legal Aid Board will receive an extra €8 million for a programme of modernisation and to support the implementation of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact.
More prison spaces
Minister Jim O’Callaghan said that he was “acutely aware” of the capacity constraints in prisons and the challenges faced by staff and prisoners.
The total allocated to prisons also rises by 8% to €579 million – including almost €68 million for capital spending.
The department says that the capital allocation will provide for 1,595 additional prison spaces by 2031, with a masterplan for the Thornton campus in north Dublin to be developed in 2026 to plan for the construction of a new prison, IPAS accommodation, and additional Garda facilities.
An additional €15.7 million for the Irish Prison Service will allow for the recruitment of up to 100 additional prison officers and up to 50 additional staff on a phased basis.
An 11% increase in funding for the Probation Service will allow it to recruit 100 extra staff, which the department says will increase the use of supervised community sanctions in the criminal courts and expand restorative-justice services.
For the gardaí, €77 million will go towards the recruitment of “up to 1,000” new gardaí and an additional 200 civilian staff.
Garda ‘visibility’
The garda overtime budget will increase by €19 million or 13%.
The funding includes an investment of €160 million in Garda technology, equipment, and innovation – including €19 million to begin the national roll-out of the Digital Evidence Management System and body cameras, and €15 million for cyber-security and intelligence projects.
The capital budget of €174 million will be used to complete and start construction on new stations across the country.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said that getting more gardaí on the streets was his priority.
“The allocation of a further 13% increase to the overtime budget will ensure that while we are increasing recruitment, the Garda Commissioner has the flexibility to maintain high levels of garda visibility,” he stated.
Fiosrú, which has taken over the role previously carried out by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, receives a 5% increase in spending for staff and technology.
Big increase for cyber centre
Funding for Cuan and community organisations working to tackle domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence has been increased by just over €12 million to almost €80 million.
The budget for the National Cyber Security Centre increases by over 50% to €12 million.
There is also funding earmarked for increasing staff numbers in immigration and international-protection services, with an increase of almost 50% in funding for processing international-protection appeals.
The department says that €7.5 million is being assigned to increase the number of people removed from the State through voluntary returns and enforced deportations.