Cork TD says minister must urgently implement electronic tagging to tackle prison overcrowding 

A call to implement electronic tagging to tackle prison overcrowding in Cork has been made by a local TD following a Prison Officers Association (POA) conference.

Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan delivered a speech at the event in Galway, where he highlighted the Government’s commitment to reducing prison overcrowding.

Mr O’Callaghan said that the current Programme for Government “commits to implement electronic tagging” for appropriate offenders by the end of 2025.

Electronic tagging, which would see a certain cohort of offenders issued an ankle monitor, was first enacted by government in 2007 as part of the Criminal Justice Act 2006.

However, it was later abandoned following a cost of more than €1m spent on tagging 151 offenders between 2014 and 2021.

Mr O’Callaghan said that the Government intends to bring back the use of electronic tagging. He said: “I have asked my officials to complete the necessary procurement requirements with urgency, so an initial rollout of electronic tagging can be expected by the end of the year at the very latest.

“There are a number of scenarios currently covered by legislation which allow for electronic tagging.

“The Programme for Government commits to implementing electronic tagging for appropriate categories of offender, [and] provisions which allow for tagging of people on temporary release and, in some cases, people on bail have the potential to tackle overcrowding.”

As reported by The Echo in March, figures provided to Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North-Central Pádraig O’Sullivan showed that the population of Cork Prison has risen by nearly 39% in the last five years.

The data showed that in 2024 and 2023, the facility was above its 296 person capacity.

During the first three months of 2025, the average figure for the year stood at 354 — representing a 6% increase on last year’s average.

Cork North Central TD Ken O’Flynn said the justice minister, Jim O’Callaghan, must urgently introduce electronic tagging as Irish prisons are “dangerously overcrowded”.

“Electronic tagging is not a radical idea — it is already being used effectively in jurisdictions across Europe,” said the Independent Ireland TD.

“It provides a cost-effective, secure, and humane alternative for low-risk individuals awaiting trial.

“Our prisons are dangerously overcrowded.

“The minister must explain what has gone wrong within the department, why the rollout of tagging has failed, and what his long-term strategy is to bring our prison system into the 21st century.

“This is not just about prison capacity — it is about human dignity,” he added.