Plans to introduce electronic tagging for criminal offenders have been delayed once again after a tender for the supply and management of monitors failed to attract any bids from prospective contractors.
Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan had previously pledged that electronic tagging would be in place by the end of 2025 “at the very latest,” describing the delay as “embarrassing,” reports Breaking News.
A €1.58 million contract for the provision and management of up to 50 electronic monitors was issued late last year for a 12-month pilot programme ahead of a full rollout.
However, the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration confirmed that the procurement process was cancelled after the deadline passed without receiving any compliant submissions, reports Breaking News.
The tender was re-advertised this week following a “small number” of revisions to the technical specifications, with a new closing date of April 7th, meaning electronic tagging is now unlikely to be implemented until the second half of this year at the earliest.
The rollout of electronic monitoring for certain categories of offenders was included in the Programme for Government and has been promoted as a key measure to ease overcrowding in prisons, reports Breaking News.
Tender documents also emphasise its potential to reduce reoffending and reference recommendations on alternatives to detention made by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture.
Contractors will initially be required to supply 30 electronic monitors for the pilot, with an option to provide an additional 20. The devices will track compliance with movement restrictions, exclusion zones, and other court or prison service-imposed conditions, reports Breaking News.
“It is anticipated that electronic monitoring will serve as a tool to support relevant agencies and authorities within the Irish criminal justice sector in managing certain individuals in the community under defined conditions as an alternative to imprisonment, while also enabling them to safeguard public safety,” the tender states, reports Breaking News.
The supplier will also be responsible for monitor maintenance, liaising with agencies and tagged individuals, developing procedures, providing trained staff, and running a 24/7 call centre.
Mr O’Callaghan criticised former Justice Minister Helen McEntee for failing to implement electronic tagging during the last general election, stressing that the minister had a responsibility to introduce the scheme since legislation was already in place, reports Breaking News.
A Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration spokesman confirmed that the previous tender was cancelled after the deadline passed without “any compliant responses” being received.
“The department has made a small number of changes to the technical specification and has now re-issued the [request for tenders],” he said, reports Breaking News.
“The Programme for Government commits to implement electronic tagging for appropriate categories of prisoners. Work is underway to operationalise electronic monitoring in line with existing legislative provisions, with a pilot phase expected to be operational in 2026,” reports Breaking News.
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