As the Deputy is aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in exercising its functions, which include the provision of information on the courts system.
However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has provided information in the manner in which the statistics are readily available.
The Fines (Payment and Recovery) Act 2014 was enacted in 2014 and commenced on 11th January 2016. The Act provided that when a Judge imposed a fine, he or she could fix the amount and the time allowed for payment. If the fine remained unpaid the fined person had to be brought back to court where the judge could then make an order for attachment of earnings, for community service or (if the fine was greater than €500, a recovery order). If the fined person did not appear for the enforcement hearing, the judge could issue a bench warrant.
Because of the extensive technical changes that had to be made to Courts Service systems, the first enforcement hearings (i.e. hearings for fixing a default because the fine wasn't paid) were not scheduled until late 2017. Therefore no bench warrants relating to the Fines Act were issued in 2014, 2015 or 2016.
The number of bench warrants does not equate to the number of fines. A fined person might be summoned back to court on the same day for multiple fines. If the fined person does not appear for the hearing, one bench warrant will issue. There will not be a separate bench warrant for each fine.
Report on the number of bench warrants issued under the Fines Act
Note: A bench warrant may cover a number of offences for that defendant but report only displays one offence.
Jan - Dec 2017
Office
|
No of Bench Warrants issued under the fines act
|
ATHLONE DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
13
|
CARLOW DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
27
|
CARRICK-ON-SHANNON OFFICE
|
1
|
CAVAN DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
3
|
CLONAKILTY DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
31
|
CLONMEL DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
11
|
CORK DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
4
|
DONEGAL DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
2
|
KILKENNY DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
82
|
LETTERKENNY DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
6
|
LONGFORD DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
19
|
MALLOW DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
19
|
MONAGHAN DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
6
|
MULLINGAR DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
13
|
NENAGH DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
16
|
SLIGO DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
2
|
WEXFORD DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
2
|
Total
|
257
|
Jan – Dec 2018
Court Offices
|
No of Bench Warrants under the fines act
|
ATHLONE DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
211
|
BALLINA DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
29
|
BLANCHARDSTOWN DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
217
|
BRAY DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
387
|
CARLOW DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
260
|
CARRICK-ON-SHANNON OFFICE
|
39
|
CASTLEBAR DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
28
|
CAVAN DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
245
|
CLONAKILTY DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
49
|
CLONMEL DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
279
|
CLOVERHILL COURTHOUSE OFFICE
|
27
|
CORK DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
1,261
|
CRIMINAL COURTS OF JUSTICE
|
450
|
DONEGAL DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
56
|
DUBLIN METROPOLITAN DISTRICT
|
2,059
|
DUNDALK DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
23
|
DUNLAOGHAIRE DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
243
|
ENNIS DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
398
|
GALWAY DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
791
|
KILKENNY DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
676
|
LETTERKENNY DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
217
|
LIMERICK DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
1,784
|
LONGFORD DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
342
|
LOUGHREA DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
127
|
MALLOW DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
163
|
METROPOLITAN CHILDREN'S COURT OFFICE
|
1
|
MONAGHAN DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
204
|
MULLINGAR DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
405
|
NENAGH DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
194
|
PORTLAOISE DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
67
|
ROSCOMMON DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
71
|
SLIGO DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
161
|
SWORDS DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
166
|
TULLAMORE DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
134
|
WATERFORD DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
208
|
WEXFORD DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
518
|
YOUGHAL DISTRICT COURT OFFICE
|
76
|
Total
|
12,566
|