Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 16 Jun 1998

Vol. 492 No. 4

Written Answers. - Mitigation Petitions.

Michael Ring

Ceist:

283 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of applications to open a petition approved since June 1997 for court fines and penalties on a monthly basis. [14016/98]

Michael Ring

Ceist:

284 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of applications to open a petition on court fines and penalties received since June 1997; the number dealt with; the number awaiting a decision; and the average length of time from when an application is submitted to when a decision issues. [14017/98]

Michael Ring

Ceist:

285 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of people who have had court fines and penalties reduced through applications to open a petition; and if he will make a statement on the policy for petitions. [14018/98]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 283, 284 and 285 together.

The available statistics provided below give details of petition cases finalised in the period from the end of June 1997 to the end of May 1998. Many of those cases were included in the backlog of approximately 5,200 unprocessed petitions which had built up as a consequence of the April 1995 High Court Judgment on petitions.

Petitions Finalised July, 1997 and May, 1997

	1.	2.	3.	4.	5.	6.
Month	Application to open petition refused	Petition refused	Extension of Time	Part Mitigation	Full Mitigation	Prison Sentence (substitution of fine-in-lieu)	Total
July 1997	1	2	nil	nil	nil	nil	3
August 1997	nil	8	nil	nil	nil	nil	8
September 1997	4	10	nil	nil	nil	nil	14
October 1997	3	20	nil	nil	nil	nil	23
November 1997	nil	4	nil	nil	nil	nil	4
December 1997	nil	6	nil	1	nil	nil	7
January 1998	nil	51	nil	nil	nil	nil	51
February 1998	nil	35	nil	nil	nil	nil	35
March 1998	48	23	nil	nil	nil	nil	71
April 1998	58	152	nil	nil	nil	nil	210
May 1998	99	249	nil	nil	nil	nil	348
Total	213	560	nil	1	nil	nil	774

It is not possible at present to indicate the average time involved in processing an application because of the size of the backlog. The timeframe, however, will be significantly improved over the coming months when the petitions clearance programme is completed.