Jim Higgins
Question:325 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of persons committed to prison for each of the years 1994 to 1998 for the non-payment of fines and civil debts. [3977/99]
Written Answers. - Prison Committals.
In 1994, the latest year for which the information sought by the Deputy has been published, the total number of persons committed to prison for default of fines was 2,173 and the number committed for default of (a) sureties, (b) debts and (c) contempt of court was 270.
Committal statistics are not maintained in such a way as to enable the information sought by the Deputy to be readily available. The following figures as yet unpublished give details for 1995 and 1996. The figures are not yet available for later years.
|
Year |
Fines |
Debts |
|
1995 |
1,920 |
215 |
|
1996 |
1,610 |
203 |
It is worth noting that, at any one time, only 1.0 to 1.5 per cent of prison spaces are taken up by persons committed for non-payment of fines and-or non-payment of debt.
The Deputy may be aware, however, that I have recently announced a new £6 million computer-based information programme for the prison service. This programme will address the lack of accessible information about prisoners, pro vide management with necessary information and enable the automation of many existing functions. The programme has already commenced and it is expected that these particular systems will be deployed across the prison service by late 1999 or early 2000. Information will be more easily accessible once this new system is in operation.