Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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107. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the projected recruitment pipeline for prison officers in 2025 to 2027; the projected attrition rate; and the expected net staffing change. [21490/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service continually monitors the staffing requirements of, and vacancies that arise in, the organisation. The Irish Prison Service routinely reviews the resource requirement across the estate based on the prisoner cohort and the expanding prison population.

The staff requirement has increased to meet demand on the service. Recruitment campaigns are put in place as required and since 2016 the Irish Prison Service, in conjunction with the Public Appointments Service, has run seven Recruit Prison Officer campaigns.

Recruit Prison Officer campaigns have launched annually since 2022 and it is expected that this will continue in the coming years. Planning is underway for the launch of the 2025 campaign in July. The Irish Prison Service aims to recruit 300 prison officers in 2025.

Prison Officers leaving the Irish Prison Service do so primarily on the basis of retirement. Prison Officers (excluding Single Scheme post 01/01/2013 hires) can retire at between 50 and 55 years of age, if they have 30 years of actual Prison Service completed. All Prison Officers can retire, regardless of service, on reaching their 55th birthday.

The Courts, Civil Law, Criminal Law and Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024 came into law on 19/08/2024. This extended the Mandatory retirement Age (MRA) from 60 to 62. This means that there are no compulsory retirements of Prison Officers due until 19/08/2026 at the earliest and this makes forecasting retirement levels somewhat more challenging. Nevertheless the historical pattern of retirement in the Irish Prison Service is that approximately 20% of the eligible cohort of staff in any given year tend to retire. On that basis it is estimated that there could be 300 retirements between 2025 and 2027.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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108. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated annual cost of detaining one person in prison versus the cost of supervising one person on a community sanction, and the projected fiscal impact of achieving the Department of Justice's 1,500 additional prison place target versus equivalent investment in community measures. [21491/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I am advised by my officials in the Irish Prison Service that the average annual cost of an available, staffed prison space during the calendar year 2024 was €99,072. This includes net expenditure incurred within the year (such as salaries, utilities/ maintenance, ICT, prison services, etc.) excluding capital expenditure on buildings, ICT and vehicle purchases.

Further, I have been advised by the Probation Service that, based on 2019 data compiled by their Finance Unit, the unit cost of a probation supervision order is €5,700. The Probation Service informs me that it intends to review and update the costing model for assessment and supervision this year.

With regard to the fiscal impact of delivering 1,500 additional prison places, all new capital building projects must be planned in line with the Infrastructure Guidelines, which outline the steps that must be taken to plan and deliver large projects to ensure value for money, and involve significant planning, a range of assessments and approval gates.

As part of this process, an economic appraisal and financial analysis are carried out at the start of all large projects. Individual projects to deliver the 1,500 spaces will be progressed through this process over the lifetime of the capital plan and will be progressed in line with the available funds, which will be determined through the review of the National Development Plan.