asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons in County Roscommon committed to prison during the years 1981 to 1985, inclusive, for non-payment of civil debt; and the average length of time spent in prison by those who were committed.
Written Answers. - County Roscommon Prison Committals.
384.
Limerick East): Nobody may be committed to prison merely for non-payment of debt. A person may be committed to prison for failure to comply with a court order to make certain payments in discharge of a debt, an order which may be made only after examination of means designed to establish that the person can pay. As far as can be ascertained from prison records, a total of six persons with addresses in County Roscommon were committed to prison on foot of such order in the period from 1 January 1981 to 31 December 1985. The average time spent in custody was 27 days in the above cases.