Law « Thurles Information

New Prison Officer Recruitment Campaign & New Virtual Prison Tour Launched.

Irish Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Mr Jim O’Callaghan has launched the 2025 recruitment campaign for the Irish Prison Service.
The target number for new recruits this year is 300, with the competition being conducted through Publicjobs on behalf of the Irish Prison Service.

The Minister is also pleased to launch the Virtual Prison Tour: a new web-based innovative tool that allows visitors, service users, and the wider public to see the inside of an Irish Prison, guided by a digitally created Prison Officer.
This project aims to increase public understanding of how our prisons function and operate on a day-to-day basis.

Speaking at the launch, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said: “Prison Officers are a cornerstone of the criminal justice system, and I look forward to welcoming the new recruits of 2025. I am very pleased to launch this year’s recruitment campaign which is a key part of a much wider investment by government in our prison system. Prisons not only provide a secure environment and act as a deterrent, but through the dedication and compassion that prison officers also provide to offenders, prisons are a place for rehabilitation and education. The Government is committed to ensuring that all prison officers are enabled and equipped to do their jobs to a high standard in a workplace where they feel safe and protected.”

Mr O’Callaghan further stated, “I am also pleased to launch the Virtual Prison Tour. This innovative project will greatly enhance the public’s understanding of how our prisons operate. It can also serve as a positive recruitment tool to provide those contemplating a career as a prison officer with the ability to tour their future workplace.”

Ms Caron McCaffrey, Director General of the Irish Prison Service, added: “The Recruit Prison Officer campaign is a vital opportunity to attract individuals who are committed to public service and rehabilitation, and who will play a central role in maintaining safe and secure prison environments. The incredible work of Prison Officers is complex and often hidden from public view, but our annual competition and the launch of the virtual tour allow us the opportunity to let the public see the teamwork, integrity, potential, safety and support that Prison Officers not only offer to prisoners, but to their colleagues as well.
I wish to commend all those involved in delivering the Virtual Tour, an innovative and informative project that highlights the professionalism and dedication of our staff across the prison estate. These initiatives are key steps in strengthening public understanding of our work and attracting committed individuals to a challenging yet rewarding career.”

The 2024 recruitment campaign attracted more than 1500 applicants, resulting in 271 prison officers joining the Irish Prison Service. The 2025 Recruit Prison Officer Competition will remain open until 1 August 2025.

Information on the competition and how to apply, and to access the prison tour can be found on the Irish Prison Service website HERE .

Rearrest Made Following Murder In 2024 Of 89-Year-Old Nenagh Woman.

A man in his 50s, and the chief suspect in the suspected murder, has again been rearrested in connection with the death of an 89-year-old woman in Nenagh, Co Tipperary.

Mrs Josephine (Josie) Ray (née O’Meara), also known as Joan, with an address at St Joseph’s Park, Nenagh, Co Tipperary, was found with severe bruising to her face. Blood was also found close to her body and a pillow seized as part of the murder probe, was subjected to a full forensic examination. Emergency services located Mrs Ray’s deceased body just after midday, on Sunday August 4th, 2024 last.

The male arrested today remains detained under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
Previously, two people had been arrested, under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984, in connection with the investigations into her death, but were both released later, without charge, with files prepared for the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP). We understand that this rearrest today, by gardaí, follows new information recently received in the case.

The couple arrested by gardaí on the same day as the funeral of Mrs Ray; were named as Mr Hasan Ali Gori and Ms Mary Ray (latter her daughter), both aged in their 50s, who both strongly deny any role in the death of Ms Ray’s mother.

Mrs Josephine Ray was well known throughout Nenagh, especially in her community of St Joseph’s Park.
Following her murder, her funeral took place at St Mary of the Rosary Church, in Nenagh, where she was remembered as a woman of remarkable presence and a beacon of the town.

It was reported that gardaí had been called to Mrs Josephine Ray’s home on several occasions, during the weeks prior to her death; in an effort to deal with a number of different alleged complaints.

Gardaí will continue to investigate all of the circumstances surrounding this suspected murder.

Tipp-Clare Garda Division Under Resourced In Fight Against Drugs.

Drug Searches Drop By 44% In Tipp-Clare Garda Division Says Fine Gael TD, Mr Joe Cooney.

Clare Fine Gael TD, Mr Joe Cooney has expressed deep concern at the significant decline in both the sharp reduction in drug-related searches carried out across the Tipperary/Clare Garda Division and the number of Gardaí serving in County Clare.

Deputy Cooney said he would be raising the matter directly with the Minister for Justice, calling for urgent action to boost resources and personnel allocated to the Divisional Drugs Unit and An Garda Síochána more broadly throughout the region.

New figures provided to Deputy Cooney reveal that Garda numbers in County Clare have fallen by over 8% since 2020 — decreasing by 27 from 314 to 287. In Ennis alone, Garda numbers have dropped from 190 to 167, while Kilrush has seen a reduction of eight Gardaí over the same period, with 55 now stationed there.

Meanwhile, the number of searches conducted under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977/1984 across the Tipperary/Clare Garda Division has plummeted by a collosal 44%; from 2,726 in 2022 to 1,546 so far in 2024. There has also been a drop in overall detections of ‘Possession of Drugs for Sale and Supply’ and ‘Simple Possession’.

Deputy Cooney pointed out that just 18 Gardaí, same comprising 15 Garda members and 3 Sergeants, are currently assigned to the Tipperary/Clare Divisional Drugs Unit, which is tasked with covering a vast geographic area, stretching from Loop Head and Ballyvaughan in Co. Clare to Carrick-on-Suir in South Co. Tipperary.

“The Tipperary/Clare Divisional Drugs Unit has been doing outstanding work in tackling the scourge of illegal drugs in our communities, but they urgently need more resources to sustain and strengthen that effort,” said Deputy Cooney. “I am calling on the Minister for Justice and Garda management to allocate additional personnel and resources to the Divisional Drugs Unit to support the great work they are doing, as evidenced by recent significant drug seizures. We need to ensure that Gardaí on the front lines of this fight have the tools, support, and numbers required to disrupt drug networks, protect our young people, and safeguard our towns and rural communities.”

Deputy Cooney said that while he welcomed Government initiatives such as Operation Tara and the substantial increase in national policing budgets, more targeted resourcing is urgently needed in the Mid-West region.

“Tackling drug dealing and targeting the work of organised crime groups, who inflict intimidation, violence, and misery on families and communities across Ireland, must be a top priority for this Government,” he added. “I fully support the measures being taken at national level as part of Government plans to tackle illegal drug use, but there is a clear and pressing need for greater resourcing of our Drugs Units in areas like Tipperary and Clare.”

Deputy Cooney confirmed he will be tabling questions to the Minister for Justice, Mr Jim O’Callaghan, and pressing for a clear plan to reverse the decline in local Garda numbers and restore search and enforcement capacity across the region.

Four 3D Printed Firearms And Ammunition Discovered In Tipperary.

During searches of five homes in counties Tipperary and Clare; as part of ongoing investigations into organised crime in the southern region, Gardaí have discovered four 3D printed firearms together with ammunition.

Gardaí also seized drugs with an estimated value of some €22,000 and have arrested one woman, understood to be in her 40s and a male, understood to be in his 30s, both of whom remain in custody for further questioning.

The firearms seized will undergo full ballistic testing and forensic analysis.

Plan On Domestic, Sexual & Gender-Based Violence Launched.

Final Implementation Plan For Zero Tolerance Strategy On Domestic, Sexual & Gender-Based Violence Published.

Priority areas include expanding refuge accommodation, advancing legislative reform, and cross-sectoral training initiatives for frontline professionals.
There are 95 actions in total across the strategy’s four pillars of protection, prevention, prosecution and policy co-ordination.
A robust monitoring and reporting framework establishes performance indicators to track progress and understand impact.

A targeted implementation plan for the final phase of Zero Tolerance, the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (DSGBV) has been published.

The implementation plan contains 95 actions across the strategy’s four pillars of Protection, Prevention, Prosecution and Policy Co-ordination, with a strong focus on delivery and collective action to 2026.

The DSGBV Agency Cuan worked in collaboration with officials from the Department of Justice and in close consultation with other Government Departments, state agencies and external stakeholders to develop the plan for 2025-2026.

Priority areas include continuing national leadership and cross government alignment, expanding refuge accommodation, delivering a comprehensive national emergency domestic violence accommodation plan, and advancing legislative reform. That legislative reform includes removing the guardianship rights of a person who has been convicted of killing their intimate partner; developing a mechanism to ensure any person in an intimate relationship can be informed if their partner has a history of domestic violence; and advancing provisions to ensure counselling records are only released where the Court decides that they contain material relevant to legal proceedings.

The plan also includes actions to continue to deliver impactful awareness campaigns on sexual consent and pathways to safety, and a comprehensive set of training actions to upskill front-line professionals across the health and social care sector, DSGBV services, the judiciary, courts and other justice agencies.

The development of the plan was collaborative and evidence informed, involving research and a review of implementation to date, followed by in-depth consultations with Government departments and state agencies. It takes an intersectional approach, ensuring that actions and outcomes are responsive to the diverse and overlapping identities of victims and survivors of DSGBV, supported by the development and establishment of survivor-centred structures to ensure that victim/survivor voice is heard. The work to develop foundational structures, build networks and relationships lays the groundwork for beginning the transition to a Fourth National Strategy on DSGBV.

Also published today is the second 2024 Progress Report, covering the period July to December 2024, which highlights continued progress across government and the sector in implementing the Zero Tolerance strategy.

Notable achievements during the reporting period include:

Expanding emergency accommodation capacity including launch of a state-of-the-art refuge facility in Wexford and strengthening the pipeline for refuge and safe home expansion.
Reform of the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) Curriculum to empower students to be healthy and resilient young adults who have the skills and confidence to nurture healthy relationships.
Expansion of services for children and young people experiencing domestic or sexual violence, with €17m in funding distributed to 60 services supporting children and young people.
Enactment of the Family Courts Act 2024 providing for the establishment of family court divisions within the existing court structures including a Family High Court, a Family Circuit Court and a Family District Court.
Supporting the Game Changer campaign, a three-year initiative led by Ruhama, in partnership with the GAA and the Men’s Development Network, using sports-based advocacy to raise awareness of gender-based violence.
Convening of a National Consent Forum.
Engagement with the Central Statistics Office (CSO) to scope the development of a Domestic Violence survey to commence in 2025.

The 2025–2026 implementation plan and the Second Progress Report (2024) are available at: https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/Zero_Tolerance_Implementation_Plan_2025-2026.pdf.