Budget 2023: Stronger and safer communities are being prioritised
Massive recruitment for the Gardaí was announced in the Budget 2023. A record amount of €3.3 billion was allocated to the justice sector in this year’s budget.
Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe announced on Tuesday that they are adding 1,000 new recruits to An Garda Síochána next year, along with 430 additional Garda staff.
Budget 2023 to create stronger and safer communities
Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee said: “Today’s Budget is a clear commitment to building stronger, safer communities; supporting and strengthening An Garda Síochána and also towards supporting victims of crime and Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence.”
Domestic Violence
The implementation of Minister McEntee’s zero tolerance plan for domestic, sexual and gender based violence is going to be supported massively as a €9 million budget has been allocated to tackle this specifically in Budget 2023.
Minister McEntee said: “Tackling Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence is an absolute priority for me as Minister for Justice – both providing victim-centered supports and services and ensuring perpetrators are punished.”
Minister McEntee went on to say: “I am the lead Minister in Government with responsibility for Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence, with the provision of both services and policy now within the Department of Justice. 2023 will see us establish a new agency for domestic violence, which will become fully operational in January 2024.”
This funding will hopefully lead to change in the area of domestic violence, as Women’s Aid released figures last year one in four women in Ireland who have been in a relationship have been abused by a current or former partner.
Further, €272million of these funds will go towards the work that has already been done on diverting young people away from criminal behaviour and underlining the fact that crime does not pay.
Increased overtime
Minister McEntee said that some of the funds will go towards paying the Gardaí overtime. This is part of an effort to help people feel safer and reduce crime. Meaning Gardaí can be deployed as needed to tackle anti-social behaviour whenever it occurs.
