10% increase in referrals of young people to Probation Service - report

Ellen O'Donoghue

There were 609 referrals for children aged 12-17 to the Probation Service last year, an increase of 10 per cent on the previous year.

The service's annual report for 2024 said this figure is the highest since 2015.

17,150 people were dealt with by the Probation Service in the community last year, a 10 per cent increase since 2020, with the figure now sitting at the highest level on record.

Total court referrals to the service were up 5 per cent on the previous year, at over 9,700.

More than 222,000 hours of community services were ordered, in what otherwise would have been 856 years in prison sentences, an increase of 6.8 per cent on the previous year.

The community service hours resulted in over €2.8 million worth of unpaid work.

Over 3,500 people were worked with in prisons, preparing for reintegration and rehabilitation upon release.

Following the release of this report, the Probation Service said that it will continue to strengthen collaboration with the Department of Justice, An Garda Síochána and the Irish Prison Service.