Court fines may be paid through post offices from Friday

Court fines may be paid in instalments through post offices across the country under a new system that is due to begin on Friday.

Fines can already be paid online, by phone, by post and in person at court offices, but the new arrangement will allow people to pay in stages at post offices nationwide. The new payment method will be available for fines imposed from today onwards, where a judge makes an instalment order.

The Courts Service collected more than €13 million in fines in 2014, with about 35 per cent of payments made online. "The methods of payment of a fine need to be as simple and convenient as possible, with no obstacles being in the way of people paying monies due to the State," it said in a statement.