THE TAOISEACH has promised further reform of bail laws after Sinn Féin said the number of suspects out on bail made for ‘very shocking reading’.
Figures from the Department of Justice obtained by Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy revealed that suspects for 40,348 crimes carried out in 2024 were out on bail.
That number is almost 5,000 more than the 35,394 suspects who were on bail in 2022.
Micheál Martin acknowledged the figures were ‘huge’ but countered that they represented a wide range of cases.
Urgency
In a statement, Mr Carthy said bail laws need to be examined to ensure they are being appropriately applied where there is a risk of someone committing further crimes while on bail.
“Of course, many, if not most of the crimes, would be considered relatively minor,” he said.
“But some have been very serious, including those which have resulted in the loss of life.
“We need to get this right. The public will not tolerate a situation where dangerous criminals are repeatedly released on bail to commit further crimes.”
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald raised the issue in the Dáil today, saying the situation ‘cannot continue’.
“Figures were released this morning to our justice spokesperson, Deputy Carthy, that make for very shocking reading,” said Ms McDonald.
“They reveal that suspects in 40,348 crimes carried out in 2024 were out on bail.
“This is an issue we have raised repeatedly with the Government, and I am raising it again this morning.
“The 2024 figure represented an increase of 5,000 on the figure for 2022.”
She added: “This situation cannot continue. The public will not tolerate a situation whereby people out on bail are at liberty to reoffend again and again.
“The bail laws need to be examined with urgency to ensure they are being properly applied.”
‘There are limits’
In response, the Taoiseach said bail laws have and will continue to be reformed.
However, he said it was impractical to lock up all suspects and that those who have a history of crime are dealt with as a priority.
“I do not know whether the Deputy is proposing wholesale internment of everybody who is a suspect because that is another side of the story,” he said in response to Ms McDonald.
“The point is, the figures are huge but that is a wide range of cases.”
He added: “We have to focus on those who have a history of crime and who are again brought before the system.
“The bail laws have been reformed. They will be reformed further.
“The Minister [for Justice], Deputy Jim O’Callaghan, is looking at this, but there are limits to what can be done, as I am sure the Deputy would appreciate.
“If you take the politics out of it, we have no issue. We want to stamp down on crime.
“We are very intolerant of people committing crime while out on bail but you cannot have a system where everybody who is a suspect gets locked up.”