Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 Oct 1994

Vol. 446 No. 3

Written Answers. - Back-Street Abortions.

Liz O'Donnell

Question:

184 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Justice if the Garda have reported to her Department any incidence of alleged back-street abortions in the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2191/94]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn)

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the last instance of criminal abortion reported was in 1971. Information in relation to the procurement of or assistance in abortion is contained in the Garda Commissioners Annual Report on Crime, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library.

Liz O'Donnell

Question:

185 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Justice the number, by county, of petitions for remissions of fines and penalties under Section 23 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1951, received by her Department; the number which were successful in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2192/94]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn)

Statistics relating to petitions are maintained by reference to petitions finalised rather than to petitions received. Details of petitions finalised in each of the years 1989 to 1993, inclusive, are given in the following tables. Also appended is an explanation of what the decisions mean.

Table A — Details of Petitions finalised in 1989

County of residence of petitioner	Full remission	Substitution of fine for prison sentence	Partial mitigation of fine	Extension of time to pay	Refusal	Total number of petitions finalised
Carlow	2	—	15	9	34	60
Cavan	—	—	14	13	52	79
Clare	4	—	17	15	59	95
Cork	18	1	100	67	241	427
Donegal	4	—	45	25	57	131
Dublin	81	2	541	312	958	1,894
Galway	5	—	46	27	98	176
Kerry	2	—	37	33	91	163
Kildare	6	—	39	23	83	151
Kilkenny	3	—	17	12	30	62
Laois	1	—	15	13	26	55
Leitrim	—	—	5	6	18	29
Limerick	11	1	125	58	135	330
Longford	2	—	19	17	29	67
Louth	9	1	31	8	71	120
Mayo	6	—	24	17	48	95
Meath	7	—	43	27	74	151
Monaghan	1	—	23	14	65	103
Offaly	2	1	12	8	27	50
Roscommon	2	—	8	19	31	60
Sligo	—	—	21	15	33	69
Tipperary	3	—	63	33	137	236
Waterford	6	—	51	20	43	120
Westmeath	—	—	11	3	30	44
Wexford	2	—	23	22	48	95
Wicklow	5	—	33	22	47	107
Other	—	—	—	1	10	11
Totals	182	6	1,378	839	2,575	4,980

Table B — Details of Petitions finalised in 1990

County of residence of petitioner	Full remission	Substitution of fine for prison sentence	Partial mitigation of fine	Extension of time to pay	Refusal	Total number of petitions finalised
Carlow	2	—	22	23	19	66
Cavan	2	—	28	26	40	96
Clare	1	—	31	22	30	84
Cork	19	—	220	175	251	665
Donegal	3	—	77	39	53	172
Dublin	93	1	654	402	658	1,808
Galway	12	—	118	52	91	273
Kerry	2	—	83	55	79	219
Kildare	10	—	80	42	61	193
Kilkenny	2	—	42	18	21	83
Laois	—	—	43	13	22	78
Leitrim	2	—	21	10	16	49
Limerick	6	—	158	93	136	393
Longford	—	—	46	24	27	97
Louth	27	1	58	13	33	132
Mayo	6	1	46	38	43	134
Meath	12	—	59	39	56	166
Monaghan	4	—	50	30	46	130
Offaly	1	—	28	18	19	66
Roscommon	—	—	25	14	19	58
Sligo	2	—	36	49	35	122
Tipperary	10	1	93	46	99	249
Waterford	2	1	72	35	38	148
Westmeath	1	—	22	20	22	65
Wexford	5	1	54	18	46	124
Wicklow	2	—	40	25	44	111
Other	—	—	1	1	—	2
Totals	226	6	2,207	1,340	2,004	5,783

Table C — Details of Petitions finalised in 1991

County of residence of petitioner	Full remission	Substitution of fine for prison sentence	Partial mitigation of fine	Extension of time to pay	Refusal	Total number of petitions finalised
Carlow	—	—	16	8	21	45
Cavan	1	—	16	13	41	71
Clare	3	—	16	8	81	108
Cork	11	—	151	63	279	504
Donegal	2	—	50	30	88	170
Dublin	62	3	405	200	812	1,482
Galway	3	—	73	35	112	223
Kerry	1	1	40	23	100	165
Kildare	4	—	40	29	95	168
Kilkenny	2	—	18	7	24	51
Laois	1	—	20	8	36	65
Leitrim	—	—	5	2	7	14
Limerick	5	—	110	54	207	376
Longford	—	—	25	5	43	73
Louth	10	—	30	14	48	102
Mayo	5	—	28	24	61	118
Meath	7	—	31	21	90	149
Monaghan	4	—	28	9	50	91
Offaly	1	—	22	9	21	53
Roscommon	1	—	10	5	24	40
Sligo	1	—	18	22	42	83
Tipperary	5	—	108	40	185	338
Waterford	2	—	41	19	70	132
Westmeath	2	—	23	15	27	67
Wexford	2	—	23	16	59	100
Wicklow	—	—	20	10	61	91
Other	—	—	1	—	4	5
Totals	135	4	1,368	689	2,688	4,884

Table D — Details of Petitions finalised in 1992

County of residence of petitioner	Full remission	Substitution of fine for prison sentence	Partial mitigation of fine	Extension of time to pay	Refusal	Total number of petitions finalised
Carlow	2	—	12	3	12	29
Cavan	1	—	12	3	26	42
Clare	2	—	28	12	41	83
Cork	9	—	138	40	208	395
Donegal	1	1	51	15	54	122
Dublin	33	—	295	118	404	850
Galway	3	—	77	15	78	173
Kerry	—	—	62	11	80	153
Kildare	3	—	45	8	40	96
Kilkenny	1	—	17	4	24	46
Laois	—	—	26	3	25	54
Leitrim	—	—	17	1	17	35
Limerick	8	1	134	32	136	311
Longford	2	—	38	16	29	85
Louth	17	—	22	9	28	76
Mayo	4	—	78	7	32	121
Meath	6	—	47	13	56	122
Monaghan	2	1	23	8	30	64
Offaly	1	—	14	7	21	43
Roscommon	1	—	11	3	27	42
Sligo	1	—	35	2	30	68
Tipperary	4	—	102	30	114	250
Waterford	5	—	38	9	38	90
Westmeath	—	—	22	6	23	51
Wexford	1	—	20	7	38	66
Wicklow	—	—	43	4	50	97
Other	—	—	1	1	2	4
Totals	107	3	1,408	387	1,663	3,568

Table E — Details of Petitions finalised in 1993

County of residence of petitioner	Full remission	Substitution of fine for prison sentence	Partial mitigation of fine	Extension of time to pay	Refusal	Total number of petitions finalised
Carlow	—	—	19	1	18	38
Cavan	1	—	26	8	29	64
Clare	2	—	39	14	52	107
Cork	12	—	139	64	161	376
Donegal	2	1	57	19	74	153
Dublin	29	—	359	166	488	1,042
Galway	5	—	129	19	84	237
Kerry	3	—	55	17	47	122
Kildare	—	—	51	12	42	105
Kilkenny	1	—	40	4	37	82
Laois	1	—	31	14	34	80
Leitrim	—	—	15	8	12	35
Limerick	3	—	129	61	124	317
Longford	1	—	32	18	35	86
Louth	9	1	19	7	25	60
Mayo	—	—	56	16	52	124
Meath	7	—	54	17	68	146
Monaghan	3	—	41	8	35	87
Offaly	2	—	30	13	28	73
Roscommon	—	—	9	4	27	40
Sligo	—	—	24	9	31	64
Tipperary	4	—	112	49	76	241
Waterford	4	—	34	21	44	103
Westmeath	—	—	26	14	37	77
Wexford	4	—	25	8	37	74
Wicklow	5	—	29	13	62	109
Other	—	—	—	—	8	8
Totals	98	1	1,580	604	1,767	4,050

Explanation of Decisions Made

Full remission of penalty: Conviction stands but penalty remitted in full.

Substitution of fine for prison sentence: Conviction stands but if a nominated sum is paid within a specified period, the prison sentence is not enforced.

Partial mitigation of fine: Conviction stands but if a nominated sum is paid within a specified period, the outstanding balance of the fine is remitted.

Extension of time to pay: Conviction and fine stand but enforcement deferred for a specified period.

Refusal: Conviction and fine stand although it is customary to allow one month for payment of the fine from the date of issue of the decision except in the case of a repetition where no further time is allowed.