Electronic monitoring as bail rule for serious offenders to be discussed

Electronic monitoring is set to be hotly debated this week following an opposition proposal to tighten bail rules, The Irish Times reports.

Jim O’Callaghan, justice spokesperson for Fianna Fáil, will lead a Dáil debate tomorrow on whether criminals convicted of serious offences should be denied bail unless they agree to be electronically monitored.

According to The Irish Times, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan will bring counter-proposals to tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting.

The proposal for tighter bail laws are part of a package of proposals from Mr O’Callaghan, which he said would tackle a rise in rural crime.

Under his proposals, electronic monitoring would be a condition of bail where a person has been convicted of a serious offence in the 10 years prior to the bail application.

He said: “It would mean people who are convicted of serious offences would be monitored. Imposing a monitoring system on people who continuously commit offences can be a method of sentencing. A tagging system would make it more difficult to commit crimes.”