The Probation Service has spent more than €26,000 producing a podcast series, including paying a comedian more than €2,000 an episode to host.
On Probation, a six-part interview-based podcast, is part of the Probation Service’s commitment to increasing public awareness of the agency’s work, a spokesman said.
A breakdown of production costs released following a Freedom of Information request shows the total cost of the production was €26,740 for the six-episode run.
Of this €13,530 was paid to host Colm O’Regan, a standup comedian and author of several books, including Bolloxology, The Book of Irish Mammies and the Christmas Book of Irish Mammies. This averages out to €2,255 per episode.
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A further €13,210 was spent on production costs including “recording, editing, studio hire, sound costs, etc”.
In total, each episode cost an average of €4,456 to make. No fees were paid to any of the guests, which included probation officers, community workers and a former offender.
Five episodes have been broadcast to date. Topics covered include the work of the Probation Service, the role of restorative justice and the importance of community-based organisations funded by the service.
The final episode, which has yet to air, covers the work of CoSA (Circles of Support and Accountability) which assists offenders convicted of serious sexual offences “in their efforts to live a life free of crime and harmful behaviour”.
A Probation Service spokesman said it did not yet have listenership figures for the podcast.
“However, On Probation charted in the top 100 podcasts in Ireland on Spotify on its release,” he said.
“People have tuned in from across Ireland and the globe to learn about the work of the Probation Service as well as the vital work of community-based organisations funded by the Probation Service.”
The podcast is part of a growing national and international trend of criminal justice agencies releasing their own podcasts. An Garda Síochána, the Courts Service and Northern Ireland’s probation service have all recently released podcasts about their work.
Asked about the decision to create a podcast and its intended target audience, a Probation Service spokesman said it “is a means to reach more people in Ireland, and make them aware of the complex areas the Probation Service works in within the criminal justice system, but also to make listeners aware of the services we provide for victims of crime, how we support community initiatives for education, retraining, drug and alcohol addiction and mental health counselling, and ultimately to improve understanding of the work of the Probation Service”.
“Furthermore, all episodes of On Probation will remain online after the series concludes, serving as a valuable public resource for future audiences to access readily and easily and eager to gain a greater understanding of the work of the Probation Service,” he said.
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