Seán Barrett
Ceist:95 Mr. S. Barrett asked the Minister for Justice if he has any information on the proportion of cases where on the spot fines are not paid and the fate of the prosecutions subsequently instituted.
Written Answers. - Debts and Fines Statistics.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that 1989 is the most recent year for which figures are available and approximately 45 per cent of fines-on-the-spot notices issued that year were paid. Notices other than those cancelled or spoiled which are not paid within the specified time limit are followed up by way of court proceedings. It is not possible to indicate the outcome of these proceedings.
Patrick McCartan
Ceist:96 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for Justice if he will outline for each of the years between 1987 and 1990 the total number of persons committed to prison during the year for (a) the non-payment of debt and (b) the non-payment of fines; in respect of (a) and (b) if he will further outline for each year the average period of the committal and the average amount of the debt or fine; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Annual Reports on Prisons and Places of Detention for 1987 and 1988 which are available in the Oireachtas Library provide, at Table 5 such of the information sought in the question as is readily available. Comparable statistics for 1989 and 1990 are being compiled at present and will be published in due course in the annual reports for those years. The remainder of the information sought by the Deputy is not readily available and could not be obtained without an inordinate expenditure of staff time.
Patrick McCartan
Ceist:97 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for Justice if he will outline for each of the past five years (1) the numbers of petitions received by him for the remittance of fines, (2) the numbers he refused to remit at all, (3) the numbers he varied by extending the time to pay the fines, (4) the numbers he varied by reducing the amount of the fines, (5) the average fine figure in respect of those fines included under (1) and (4) above (6) the overall amount for each year of the reductions allowed under (4) above and (7) if possible, an estimation of the number of persons who avoided imprisonment by reason of the fine being reduced or remitted in whole extent.
Statistics relating to petitions are not maintained in such a way as to enable all the information sought in the question to be provided. The information in so far as it is available is set out as follows:
|
Heading |
1986 |
1987 |
1988 |
1989 |
1990 |
|
(1) Estimated number of petitions received for the remission of fines and remission or commutation of prison sentences |
5,900 |
5,300 |
4,400 |
3,800 |
4,200 |
|
(2) Number of petitions refused |
3,172 |
2,631 |
1,903 |
2,574 |
2,002 |
|
(3) Extension of time to pay |
916 |
890 |
598 |
835 |
1,340 |
|
(4) Fines remitted or mitigated |
2,692 |
2,331 |
1,422 |
1,561 |
2,432 |
|
(5) Average value of fines per petition |
not available |
||||
|
(6) Annual value of fines remitted |
not available |
||||
|
(7) Fines substituted in lieu of prison sentence |
14 |
8 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
The number of petitions finalised in 1986, 1987 and 1990 is greater than the number received because of carry-overs from previous years.