The 2011 annual report of the Probation Service was published in August 2012.¹ The introduction to the report describes the role of the service as follows: 

The Probation Service is an agency within the Department of Justice and Equality. The Service works closely with the Courts Service, the Irish Prison Service (IPS), An Garda Síochána, the Irish Youth Justice Service (IYJS), the Parole Board and many organisations in the community. …

We generally become involved in the criminal justice process between the trial and sanction phases, often in cases where a court requires a pre-sanction assessment to assist in deciding on an appropriate sanction. In some cases, the court may be considering placing an offender on probation supervision or community service. (p.6)

In 2011, the Service dealt with 14,845 offenders in the community. The statistical data provided in the annual report does not provide a breakdown of offenders or interventions by offence type.

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1. The Probation Service (2012) The Probation Service annual report 2011. Navan: Probation Service. www.drugsandalcohol.ie/18249