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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 23 Jan 1996

Vol. 460 No. 3

Written Answers. - Non-Payment of Fines.

Rory O'Hanlon

Question:

398 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons imprisoned as a result of non-payment of fines in the last year for which figures are available. [1035/96]

In the courts, when a judge hands down fines as penalties, the sanction of prison for periods of two days to three months approximately is always part of the judge's decision where the fines are not paid. This sanction is only used where people refuse to pay fines or where the gardaí have made a number of attempts to collect the fines to no avail. The number of persons committed for non-payment of fines in 1992, the latest year for which accurate figures are available, was 1,342 which represents 14 per cent of total committals for that year. Indications are that in 1993 the percentage of committals which were for non-payment of fines rose slightly to about 17 per cent. However, it should be noted that many of those committed under such warrants make payment either on, or shortly after, committal and are then released. On any one day, persons actually imprisoned for non-payment of fines represent less than 1 per cent of the prison population, that is, 20 people. The total committals would form part of the statistical base but, in the event, most would not have actually served time in prison.

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