Funding has been allocated in next year's budget for the recruitment of up to 1,000 additional gardaí and 250 civilian staff, a 25% increase in overtime for more garda visibility, an increase in the recruits training allowance and a new Garda Reserve recruitment drive.
Garda wellbeing initiatives will receive €6 million in funding. This will include medical costs along with over 2,500 body armour units.
An allocation of €9 million will go towards a 10% increase in criminal legal aid fees, along with additional funding for the courts, prisons and probation service.
GoSafe speed cameras will receive €3.6 million and an €500,000 on the CCTV scheme.
The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said that over €15 million extra is to be spent on community safety initiatives and on tackling domestic, sexual and gender based violence.
Minister McEntee said an additional €9 million will be made available "to make progress" in restoring criminal legal aid fees. She said there would be a 10% increase early next year. And more work would be undertaken with the legal professions to further strengthen criminal legal aid.
Funds are also to be made available to provide courts staff to support additional judges.
The Council of the Bar of Ireland called today’s announcement "an important and necessary step".
The Law Society which represents solicitors also welcomed the investment in criminal legal aid fees. Criminal legal aid solicitors who work in the District Court, joined barristers in their protests in Dublin last Tuesday. Barristers and solicitors say they are being paid rates below 2002 levels, making it difficult for people to earn a living in criminal law.
Senior Counsel, Sara Phelan chair of the Council of the Bar of Ireland said the allocation announced by the Government today represented an unwinding of the 10% cut that was applied to barristers in 2011.
She said it was a welcome and important first step. But she said even after this was restored the full range of cuts applied during the financial crisis would still apply.
She said they welcomed an announcement that there would be a process to review the structure and level of fees paid to criminal barristers. Ms Phelan said payment structure and fee rates required careful consideration to ensure criminal barristers across all jurisdictions, including the District Court were treated fairly.
Senior Counsel, Sean Guerin, Chair of the Criminal State Bar Committee said practising criminal law must represent a sustainable career choice if the rights of victims and of those accused of crimes were to be protected and vindicated.
The President of the Law Society of Ireland Maura Derivan said the proposed investment in the criminal legal aid scheme signalled long awaited progress towards full restoration of pre recession fees for criminal defence lawyers and would be an important step in increasing the availability of criminal legal aid to those who cannot afford access to justice.
The Director General of the society, Mark Garrett said they looked forward to working with the Department of Justice towards the long-term sustainability of an efficient and effective criminal legal aid system.
Additional reporting Orla O'Donnell
