Minister Jim O’Callaghan secures record allocation of over €6.17 billion for the Justice Sector in Budget 2026
- Published on: 8 October 2025
- Last updated on: 16 October 2025
- increase of up to 1,500 in Garda workforce, and 392,000 additional hours of Garda overtime to maximise Garda visibility in 2026
- capital budget of €390 million to deliver new Garda stations, courts, extra prison spaces, increased investment in security and cyber security infrastructure, and digitalisation of immigration services
- almost €80 million to support Cuan and services supporting victims and survivors of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, and €5 million in additional funding supports for victims
- 250 additional staff for prison and probation services
- allocation of €123 million (€27 million increase) to allow for full restoration of criminal legal aid fees in 2026 in conjunction with systemic reform of the criminal legal aid system
- additional funding of €8 million to the Legal Aid Board for a programme of modernisation and to support the implementation of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact
- 50% increase in funding for Free Legal Advice Centres to support access to justice for all
The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan, has today announced a total of €5.78 billion in current expenditure and €390 million in capital investment for 2026. This is the largest ever budget allocated to the justice sector.
The funding will increase Garda visibility further; enhance public safety; tackle domestic, sexual and gender-based violence; improve crime prevention; expand youth diversion programmes; build new Garda stations and safer prisons; while also driving end-to-end modernisation and efficiency across Ireland’s immigration system.
The Garda budget of €2.59 billion will fund the recruitment of up to 1,000 new Gardaí, 200 more Garda staff and a doubling of the Garda Reserve to over 600 next year. An additional 392,000 overtime hours will meet the sustained demand for a visible and responsive policing presence.
An investment of €160 million in Garda technology, equipment and innovation includes €19 million to begin the national roll-out of Body Worn Cameras at scale, and €15 million for cyber security and intelligence projects.
These measures deliver on Minister O’Callaghan’s priority commitment to increase Garda visibility in cities and communities across the country, to equip frontline Gardai with Body Worn Cameras and to strengthen the capacity of the Garda security and intelligence service.
Significant additional funding of €39 million is provided to the Irish Prison Service to expand capacity. The total budget of almost €579 million will allow for the recruitment of up to 100 additional Prison Officers and up to 50 additional staff on a phased basis, as well as a further 210,000 additional hours – an increase of almost 20% on this year.
Record capital funding of €67.9 million is provided as part of Minister O’Callaghan’s commitment to add 1,595 additional prison spaces by 2031. A significant budget increase of more than 11% for the Probation Service (€6.7 million) allows for 100 additional staff to increase supervision capacity and support the expansion of community-based sanctions as an alternative to prison.
There has been a significant allocation of €7.3 million (a 22% increase) for Youth Diversion Programmes to roll out a comprehensive nationwide network of programmes.
A key focus for Minister O’Callaghan has been to secure additional funding to continue tackling at pace the scourge of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. The allocation of almost €80 million represents an increase of 18% (€12.2 million) in 2026.
Minister O’Callaghan is working to deliver an efficient, rules-based immigration system. The EU Migration and Asylum Pact will be fully implemented, with an increase of 50% in funding to accelerate processing of international protection appeals, along with funding to increase legal counselling, legal aid and the establishment of a new Independent Human Rights Monitoring Mechanism. An increased budget of €7.5 million has been secured by Minister O’Callaghan for processing voluntary returns and enforced deportations.
Substantial increases in pay funding for the department will allow for the recruitment of additional staff as well as meeting the full-year costs of the significant increases in staffing of our immigration and international protection services during 2025.
The budget for accommodation for international protection applicants and those fleeing the war in Ukraine has been reduced by €170 million, reflecting the reduced number of applications in 2025, faster processing of those applications, and action taken to renegotiate accommodation contracts. A capital budget of €40 million will allow for further investment in State-owned accommodation options.
Budget 2026 allocation also allows for continued investment in our courts system which includes for the Dublin family court complex at Hammond Lane. Construction is expected to begin in late 2026.
The full justice sector plans under the National Development Plan, to be published later this year, will also include funding for the construction of a wide range of capital projects, including a new Courthouse in Tralee, as well as Garda stations in Castletroy and Carndonagh.
Budget highlights
An Garda Síochána
- €77 million for the funding of up to 1,000 new Gardaí and 200 additional staff next year
- double the strength of the Garda Reserve to over 600 members in 2026
- an overtime budget of €169 million (a 13% increase compared to the 2024 allocation) will provide an additional 392,000 overtime hours bringing the total number of funded overtime hours to 3.5 million hours, to meet the sustained demand for a visible and responsive policing presence and to support serious crime prevention and investigations
- investment of €160 million in Garda technology, equipment and innovation, to increase Garda capabilities in these areas, including €19 million to begin the national roll-out of the Digital Evidence Management System and Body Worn Cameras at scale, and €15 million for cyber security and intelligence projects
- the capital budget of €174 million for An Garda Síochána will see the completion of the Bailieboro Garda Station and the Drogheda PEMS store (Property & Exhibits Management Store)
- construction will also advance on the €18 million Newcastle West, and €51 million Portlaoise Garda Stations, with construction of new stations at Macroom and Clonmel commencing in the coming weeks. A new PEMS store at Tallaght will also advance next year
- funding has been secured under the NDP to commence construction planning on new Garda stations at Castletroy Co. Limerick and Carndonagh Co. Donegal
- €5 million in 2026 to fund refurbishment works in Garda stations
- €14 million additional funding will allow investment in a range of operational measures in AGS including additional equipment for Garda units such as crowd control barriers and body armour for public order units, as well as enhancing road safety policing through investment in speed camera technology
- the Garda new helicopter and plane will be fully operational in 2026, with a second new helicopter also delivered in 2026. This transformation of air support capability will provide significantly enhanced surveillance, search and public order capabilities
Prisons, rehabilitation, probation and youth justice
- record investment of €67.9 million in capital funding to deliver on a plan to add 1,595 additional prison spaces by 2031, with a masterplan for the Thornton campus 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 will allow for the recruitment of up to 100 additional Prison Officers and up to 50 additional staff on a phased basis, along with a 19% increase in funding to allow for 210,000 additional hours in our Prisons
- €2.1 million provided to allow for the introduction of electronic tagging
- 11.2% increase in funding for the Probation Service, allowing for the recruitment of 100 additional staff. This additional funding will be used to increase use of supervised community sanctions in the criminal courts, expand restorative justice services, expand national supervised Temporary Release scheme, and provide initial staffing for a Bail Supervision Scheme
- €7.3 million additional funding for Youth Diversion Projects, which now provide opportunities to prevent young people from getting involved in anti-social or criminal behaviour in every part of the State
Immigration, international protection and Ukraine including accommodation services
- resources to implement the EU Migration and Asylum Pact in June 2026
- additional staff for immigration and international protection services as well as meeting the full-year costs of the very significant staffing increases delivered in 2025
- 49.76% increase in funding for processing of international protection appeals, with an increase of €750,000 in funding for the International Protection Appeals Tribunal, and a new allocation of €5.05 million to the new appeals body to be created under the Pact
- a new human rights monitoring mechanism will also be created, with a budget of €584,000 in 2026
- a budget of €7.5 million is being assigned to increase the number of people removed from the State through voluntary returns and enforced deportations
- continued investment in digital technologies to reduce processing times and enhance efficiency
- reducing the cost of international protection accommodation by €170 million, while refocussing investment on State owned accommodation, including new IPAS accommodation as part of a Thornton Campus Masterplan
Domestic, sexual and gender based violence (DSGBV), community safety and victim services
- funding increased to almost €80 million to support Cuan and community organisations working to tackle domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and the implementation of the Zero Tolerance Strategy. This represents an increase of €12.1 million in 2026
- additional €2.5 million for the establishment of all 36 Local Community Safety Partnerships across the country, alongside increasing the size of the Community Safety Fund to €4.75 million which reinvests money seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau back into communities
- €5 million in additional funding to support victims while advancing proposals to place the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal on a statutory basis
Courts, criminal legal aid fees and civil justice reforms
- increased funding of €10.7 million for additional staff in the Courts Service to support the judiciary and the appointment of a second tranche of 20 additional judges in the course of 2026
- increasing the budget of the Judicial Appointments Commission by €300,000 to support work to increase judicial numbers further during 2026
- allocation of €123 million (up €27 million) to allow for the full restoration of Criminal Legal Aid fees in 2026, in conjunction with systemic reform of the criminal legal aid system
- Budget 2026 allocation also allows for continued investment in our courts system which includes the expected commencement of construction of the Dublin family court complex at Hammond Lane in late 2026
- additional funding of €8 million for the Legal Aid Board for a programme of modernisation and to support the implementation of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact
- 50% increase in funding for Free Legal Advice Centres to support access to justice for all
- a further 10% increase to the budget of the Data Protection Commission, with an additional €3 million to support increased staffing
- funding for the new Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland more than doubled to €9.9 million
Security
In addition to the budget for An Garda Síochána security and intelligence services, the following priority areas have been allocated additional funding:
- budget for the National Cyber Security Centre increases by over 50% to €12 million (+€4.1 million). This increased funding is due to the significant expansion in scope and role of the centre as a consequence of the NIS2 Directive and new national security powers from the upcoming National Cyber Security Bill
- investment of €3 million in the project to establish a new statutory National Security Authority to ensure that the State has a comprehensive security clearance regime in line with EU and international obligations
Criminal justice modernisation
- €2.8 million allocated to create a new Criminal Justice International Cooperation Office (CJICO) to streamline cooperation with EU member states on criminal matters, especially concerning digital and electronic evidence orders
- significant funding increases for a range of other bodies in the criminal justice sector, including the Criminal Assets Bureau (+6.3%), Forensic Science Ireland (+6.3%), Parole Board (+8%), Private Security Authority (+6%) and Fiosru (+5%)
Minister Jim O’Callaghan commented:
“Getting more Gardaí on our streets is my first priority. This government is investing significant resources to support the dedicated men and women who serve in An Gardaí Síochána. Their visible presence across our communities is critical to prevent crime and to a feeling of safety.
“In 2026, we will further build on Garda recruitment with up to 1,000 new recruits, 200 additional Garda staff and increasing the Garda Reserve towards 600 members. New stations and hubs will strengthen Garda visibility across the country. 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. I expect to make additional funding available for EU Presidency costs in the second half of 2026.
“Significant investment in technology will allow An Garda Síochána to begin the national roll-out of the Digital Evidence Management System and Body Worn Cameras at scale.
“I am acutely aware of the capacity constraints in our prisons and the challenges faced by staff and prisoners which is why I secured a record investment of €67.9 million in capital funding to deliver on my commitment to accelerate the delivery of 1,595 additional prison spaces by 2031.
“In Budget 2026 I have also secured a significant increase in funding for the Probation Service to ensure that we also have effective community-based sanctions and other alternatives to custodial sentences.
“Strengthening our borders and ensuring that we have a fair, rules-based immigration system have been priorities for me. Increasing funding will allow for more staff, more efficient processing of appeals, and an appropriate level of funding to provide for voluntary returns and enforced deportations.
“As a government we are unwavering in our commitment to zero tolerance of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in our society. Increased funding for Cuan and for community organisations that support victims and survivors will accelerate the delivery of additional refuge spaces and safe accommodation while also providing stronger wrap-around supports for victims.
"Ministers Collins, Brophy and I are committed to ensuring that the record funding secured in Budget 2026 will be spent building on the progress delivered this year across the justice sector while also meeting future commitments set out in the Programme for Government.”
Minister of State Niall Collins added:
“The increase of €7.3 million in youth justice funding I have secured enables us to achieve comprehensive nationwide coverage of our network of youth diversion projects (YDPs) for the first time.
“YDPs directly address the underlying causes of youth offending and anti-social behaviour. They are proven to yield the most positive results for society by engaging with young people most at risk of becoming involved in crime.
“Expanding this critical intervention and preventative work helps us to break the link between young people and criminal networks, diverting them away from crime and building safer communities.”
Minister of State Colm Brophy added:
“The additional funding for immigration and international protection will improve our systems, speeding up processing, strengthening returns and ensuring Ireland is fully ready to implement the EU Migration and Asylum Pact in June 2026. This Budget will ensure that we have a firm, fair and effective immigration system that represents value for money.
“The increased funding for staff and for the processing of appeals will mean applicants will move through the system faster. This is better for the applicant who will get either a positive or a negative decision more quickly and reduce the time they spend in IPAS accommodation. This will bring further savings for the State.
“I’m also delighted to have secured a €1.5 million increase in funding for migrant and community integration initiatives, enabling and improving community connections all across Ireland.
“The reduction in the budget allocation for International Protection accommodation reflects the efforts made in reducing overall costs of accommodation by renegotiating contracts, moving to a state led accommodation model and by ensuring that people who have been given a decision move on from IPAS accommodation.
“Significant savings have also been made in the Ukrainian accommodation system as Ukrainians continue to integrate into Irish society and move out of temporary accommodation.”
Notes
Gross expenditure budgets for the Justice Vote Group total approximately €6.17 billion for 2026, covering:
Garda Vote (€2.59 billion) – of which €173.8 million is capital
Prisons Vote (€579million) - of which €67.9 million is capital
Courts Vote (€214.8 million) - of which €71.5 million is capital
Justice Vote (€2.72 billion) - of which €74.8 million is capital
Data Protection Commission Vote (€30.6 million)
Policing Authority Vote (€6.5 million)
Fiosrú Vote (€22.1 million) - of which €2 million is capital
These budgets reflect gross current and capital expenditure and do not include appropriations in aid. Increases reflect the difference since the Revised Estimates for 2025.