Ireland’s forensic system entered a new era in 2024, with Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) delivering unprecedented levels of analysis and completing its long-planned move to a state-of-the-art laboratory in Backweston, Co Kildare. The year’s findings were detailed today as Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan published FSI’s Annual Report 2024, spotlighting a sector under intense pressure but performing at historic scale.
Record Demand and a Landmark Facility Upgrade
FSI’s relocation to the purpose-built Backweston Science Campus stands out as one of the most significant milestones in its 50-year history. The facility, designed to international standards, consolidates evidence processing, storage and specialist laboratories under one roof—allowing the agency to operate with greater speed and precision.
Minister O’Callaghan praised FSI staff for maintaining full services throughout the transition, describing 2024 as “a productive year marked by increased demands across drug analysis, DNA identification and expert forensic contributions to major criminal proceedings.”
Drug Analysis Hits New Highs Following Major Seizures
The agency processed more drug samples than ever recorded, reflecting the escalation of high-value trafficking cases. Submissions related to drug supply offences jumped from 45 in 2020 to 318 in 2024—a seven-fold increase. The year also saw the identification of crystal meth linked to the largest drug seizure in the State’s history.
Cannabis products—including edibles—dominated submissions, accounting for 44% of all samples analysed. Cocaine remained the most commonly detected stimulant.
DNA Database Surges as FSI Supports Missing Persons and Serious Crime
Ireland’s national DNA Database continued its rapid expansion, growing from 74,628 profiles in 2023 to 83,489 at the end of 2024—a dramatic climb from just 25 profiles in 2015.
The database delivered 766 confirmed hits, assisting 997 investigations, from burglaries and vehicle thefts to violent crime. FSI also supported 161 body identification and missing person cases, leading to the identification of 32 missing individuals last year.
FSI’s Director General, Dr Ciarán Seoighe, noted that demand is increasing not just in volume but in complexity, requiring significant expertise in advanced forensic technologies.
Modernisation Efforts Accelerate With DNA and Fingerprint Upgrades
Among FSI’s most notable technological advances was the rollout of DASH, a new ICT system for capturing and comparing DNA samples. The Minister confirmed plans to seek Government approval for legislative changes enabling the use of more powerful DNA techniques, including broader familial matching crucial for identifying unknown remains.
In fingerprint forensics, the long-planned upgrade to the Multibiometric Identification System (MBIS) went live in July 2024, significantly strengthening matching capabilities. Daily Sirene transactions—an EU-wide policing information exchange—rose to 80 per day, with nearly 29,300 transactions handled in total.
A Forensic System Under Pressure, but Poised for Growth
With over 25,000 exhibits and 23,465 biometric samples submitted in 2024 alone, FSI’s workload is at its highest point on record. Yet the agency exceeded key targets, including turnaround times for urgent drug cases and rapid identification of remains.
Minister O’Callaghan said Ireland remains “deeply proud” of the objectivity and scientific rigour underpinning FSI’s work, adding that government support for its continued expansion and modernisation is “steadfast.”
FSI’s strengthened capacity—and its new home in Backweston—places Ireland among Europe’s emerging leaders in forensic science at a time when criminal investigations are becoming more sophisticated and more demanding.
Backweston Science Campus ireland Picture from forensicscience.ie
