asked the Minister for Justice the number of people committed to prison in (1) 1987 and (2) 1988 for non-payment of fines; the average sentence served in such cases; and the estimated cost to the State of each such committal.
Written Answers. - Non-Payment of Fines.
127.
The number of people committed to prison in 1987 and 1988 for non-payment of fines was 983 and 1,041 respectively.
Details of the average sentence served in such cases and, consequently, the estimated cost to the State of each such committal are not readily available and their compilation would require the expenditure of a disproportionate amount of staff time. I can inform the Deputy, however, that the number of people in custody at any given time for non-payment of fines would represent only about 1 per cent of the total number in custody, which indicates that the sentences imposed in such cases are relatively short. It should also be borne in mind that a significant number of offenders committed for non-payment of fines obtain their release after a short time through payment of the amounts due.