Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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45. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the measures he is taking to encourage greater use of restorative justice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53689/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I am committed to progressing and implementing policies aimed at increasing the use of community sanctions that reduce offending, divert people away from imprisonment, and provide effective rehabilitation. Restorative justice is a key component of this work.

In April 2025, I approved the publication of the Probation Service restorative justice plan, ‘Restoring Relationships: Repairing Harm and Empowering Voices through Restorative Justice’. This plan aims to promote awareness and support increased use of restorative justice across the system. The plan also details how the Probation Service is further driving the integration of restorative justice into all its services, while also expanding this provision nationally.

The Probation Service delivers restorative justice (RJ) directly, and also through several Community Based Organisation (CBO's). Currently the Probation Service funds five CBO's to provide dedicated restorative justice programmes across 18 counties.

These are:

• Restorative Justice Services - Dublin, Meath, Wicklow and Kildare

• Restorative Justice in the Community - Tipperary, Laois, Offaly and Westmeath, Carlow, Kilkenny

• Le Chéile - Limerick, Cork, Clare and Kerry

• Cornmarket Project – Wexford

• Tuam Community Training Centre - Galway, Mayo, and Roscommon.

Other Probation Service funded CBOs use restorative practice approaches in their work with clients to promote respectful relationships and address the harm caused by their offending.

In 2024, €20 million of funding was provided for the continued development of 50 community based organisations, €1 million of which supported the development of capacity in CBOs that facilitate restorative justice services.

In Budget 2025, the Probation Service had a total budget of over €60 million to fund an expansion of crime-diversion programmes including restorative justice programmes and community-based alternatives to imprisonment.

I have secured an 11% increase in funding for the Probation Service in Budget 2026. This will allow for the recruitment of 100 additional staff and will be used to increase the use of supervised community sanctions in the criminal courts and the development and expansion of several schemes including restorative justice services.

The Probation Service, through its national Restorative Justice and Victim Services Unit (RJVSU), supports the integration of Restorative Justice models into practice across the country. This includes victim empathy programmes, family/restorative conferences, reparation projects, and victim-offender dialogues. The RJVSU also provides training to Probation teams and supports CBOs in delivering restorative justice programmes.

The Service is currently inviting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from community-based organisations interested in employing dedicated Restorative Justice project workers to deliver restorative justice services in the following regions:

• Donegal and Sligo area(s).

• Louth, Cavan and Monaghan area(s).