asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons imprisoned for debts or non-payment of fines; the percentage of people so imprisoned out of the entire prison population for the years 1984-86 inclusive; and the average length of imprisonment for such persons.
Written Answers. - Imprisonment for Debts.
16.
The number of persons committed to prison for non-payment of debt in the years 1984-1986 was 158, 246 and 222, respectively. The number committed for non-payment of fines was 402, 857 and 1,006, respectively.
Out of the total number of committals for the years 1984-1986 — 2.3 per cent, 3.5 per cent and 3 per cent, respectively, were committed for non-payment of debt and 5.7 per cent, 12.1 per cent and 13.5 per cent, respectively, were committed for non-payment of fines.
For non-payment of debt the average length of imprisonment was 32.1 days, 32.7 days and 33.7 days, respectively — the figures for non-payment of fines were 47.4 days, 43.6 days and 43.2 days, respectively.