Bill on non-payment of fines rejected

Sending people to jail for non-payment of fines costs taxpayers at least £2.5 million a year in transport, prison accommodation and Garda costs.

Fine Gael's justice spokesman, Mr Jim Higgins, said that continuing to jail 2,000 people each year for offences which were minor or for the non-payment of civil debts, "not only achieves absolutely nothing but is costly and counter-productive". He was introducing a Private Member's Bill - The Enforcement of Court Orders (Amendment) Bill. The Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, rejected the Bill and said it was not "prudent, sensible or practicable".

The Bill provides for greater use of Community Service Orders. It gives courts power to extend the deadline for payment of fines and to allow fines to be paid in instalments with deductions from earnings or welfare payments.

Mr O'Donoghue was concerned that the Bill's proposals could undermine the existing system for the payment of fines.

He pointed out that the Government was devising proposals, particularly in relation to attachment of earnings. This was being done with the establishment of the new Courts Service.