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Criminal penalties in Ireland

Checked in October 2026 against the Revised Acts of the Law Reform Commission and the Irish Statute Book: Criminal Justice Act 1990; Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act 1997; Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001; Criminal Damage Act 1991; Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990; Road Traffic Act 2010.

These are statutory ranges for a first offence, from the least to the most the law allows. A court decides the actual sentence in each case. We read the code in its original language and give the offences in plain English, with the legal term where it helps. For anything that matters, rely on the code itself. Not legal advice.

How Ireland sets penalties

  • Ireland has no single criminal code. The offences here come from separate Acts, each read in its Law Reform Commission Revised Act form (updated to a date it states, the latest in this set being 31 December 2024) or, for the Offences against the Person Act 1861, as originally enacted. Amendments after those dates were not checked.
  • Most offences state a maximum ('imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years', 'imprisonment for life'), and the court may impose less, a fine, or both. Mandatory minimums are rare: murder (life) and a 40-year minimum for a few listed murders.
  • Many offences are 'either-way'. On summary conviction (before a judge alone) the maximum is lower, typically 12 months or 6 months and a fine. On indictment (judge and jury) it is the higher figure shown here. This table shows the indictment maximum, and the summary maximum in the note where it was read.
  • Fines: older Acts state them in Irish pounds. The Fines Act 2010 converted them to euro classes. This table does not give fine amounts except where an Act states them in euro.
  • Ireland has no offence of second-degree murder: murder is a single offence with a mandatory life sentence. Manslaughter is a common-law offence.
  • This table shows first-offence ranges.

Death penalty: No. The Criminal Justice Act 1990, s. 1, says that no person shall suffer death for any offence. Murder carries mandatory imprisonment for life (s. 2).

Read the Ireland legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →

First-degree murder

Imprisonment for life (mandatory); at least 40 years for listed murders

Ireland has one offence of murder. A person convicted of murder is sentenced to imprisonment for life (Criminal Justice Act 1990, s. 2). For the murder of a member of the Garda Síochána or a prison officer in the course of duty, and for certain other listed murders, the court must specify a minimum period of not less than 40 years (s. 3, s. 4). A child or young person is not subject to that rule.

Voluntary manslaughter

Up to imprisonment for life, or a fine, or both

Manslaughter is a common-law offence. The Offences against the Person Act 1861, s. 5, as enacted, says a person convicted of manslaughter is liable to penal servitude for life, or to a fine, or both. 'Penal servitude' was replaced by imprisonment (that substitution was not read).

Robbery

Imprisonment for life

Burglary

Up to 14 years, or a fine, or both

  • Burglary: entering a building as a trespasser with intent to commit an arrestable offence, or committing one there (Offence)

    Least
    No minimum term set by the statute
    Most
    14 years
    Fine
    A fine, with or without imprisonment

    A fine may be imposed in addition.

    Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001, s. 12

Arson

Up to 10 years (damage by fire); up to imprisonment for life (arson)

  • Criminal damage (other than arson or damage endangering life) (Offence)

    Least
    No minimum term set by the statute
    Most
    10 years
    Fine
    A fine, with or without imprisonment

    Criminal Damage Act 1991, s. 2

  • Arson, or damage that endangers life (Offence)

    Least
    No minimum term set by the statute
    Most
    Imprisonment for life
    Fine
    A fine, with or without imprisonment

    Criminal Damage Act 1991, s. 2

Arson is damaging property by fire. The Criminal Damage Act 1991, s. 2, punishes arson, and criminal damage that endangers life, with a fine, imprisonment for life or both on indictment. Damaging property by other means is a lesser offence in s. 2 with up to 10 years. On summary conviction the maximum is 12 months or a fine.

Aggravated assault

Up to 6 months (assault, summary); up to 10 years (assault causing harm); life (causing serious harm)

Assault (s. 2) is only a summary offence: a fine or up to 6 months. Assault causing harm (s. 3) is either-way: up to 12 months and a fine on summary conviction, or up to 10 years on indictment. Causing serious harm intentionally or recklessly (s. 4) carries imprisonment for life on indictment; 'serious harm' means injury that creates a substantial risk of death or causes serious disfigurement or substantial loss or impairment of the mobility of the body or the function of a bodily member or organ.

Rape and sexual assault

Up to 10 years (sexual assault); up to imprisonment for life (rape under section 4, aggravated sexual assault)

Sexual assault (Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990, s. 2) carries up to 10 years, or up to 14 years if the person assaulted was under 17. Aggravated sexual assault (s. 3, serious violence or injury, humiliation or degradation of a grave nature) and 'rape under section 4' (penetration of the anus or mouth by the penis, or of the vagina by an object, s. 4) each carry imprisonment for life. Rape itself is defined in s. 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) Act 1981. The Acts read did not state its penalty, so none is given here for rape.

Kidnapping

Up to imprisonment for life (false imprisonment)

Ireland's offence is false imprisonment: intentionally or recklessly taking or detaining another, causing another to be taken or detained, or otherwise restricting another's personal liberty without consent. On summary conviction the maximum is a fine or 12 months.

Embezzlement

Up to 5 years (obtaining by deception) up to 10 years (theft; false accounting)

Ireland has no offence called embezzlement. Dishonestly appropriating property entrusted to a person is theft (s. 4). The nearest related offences are making a gain or causing loss by deception (s. 6) and false accounting (s. 10).

Forgery

Up to 10 years, or a fine, or both

Drunk driving, first offence

A fine of up to €5,000 or up to 6 months, or both (plus disqualification, not read)

  • Driving while under the influence of an intoxicant or over the alcohol limit (Offence)

    Least
    No minimum term set by the statute
    Most
    6 months
    Fine
    Up to €5,000, or imprisonment, or both

    Road Traffic Act 2010, s. 4

Driving or attempting to drive a mechanically propelled vehicle in a public place while under the influence of an intoxicant to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of it, or while the alcohol or drug in the body exceeds a limit (Road Traffic Act 2010, s. 4). A conviction also leads to disqualification from driving, which was not read for this table.

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