Tom Brabazon (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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679. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to visit a service (details supplied) before the end of 2025. [54617/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I must firstly acknowledge the Probation Service’s excellent work to address offending behaviour, keep communities safe and rebuild lives, families and communities. As Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, I have prioritised seeing at first hand the work of the Probation Service and community partners.

Last April, I visited the Probation Service Headquarters in Haymarket, in Dublin. I have also visited organisations who receive funding from the Probation Service including Churchfield Community Trust in Cork, Merchants Quay Ireland and Care After Prisons. At these visits, I met the service delivery teams and learned more about their work. I also attended the launch of the Diamond Project at Belvedere Youth Club at the end of May.

While there is no visit scheduled to the site the Deputy has referred to, I intend to continue to visit more Probation Service offices and funded organisations as time goes on.

I am committed to progressing and implementing policies aimed at increasing the use of community sanctions, reducing offending, diverting people away from the criminal justice system, and providing effective rehabilitation. As announced in Budget 2026 on 7 October, I have secured an 11% increase in funding for the Probation Service.