Madam, – In the first 10 months of 2009 no fewer than 3,300 people were sent to prison for non-payment of debt. That was half the people jailed at that time. This is a positively medieval way of dealing with debtors, not to mention a lose-lose situation for the principals. The lender doesn’t recoup, as the unfortunate debtor in prison can’t even work to pay back the loan and leaves there with a “criminal record”.
Hasn’t anyone ever looked at options, for heaven’s sake? Garnishment of salary, for starters. Perhaps the Dáil, when they are less absorbed in legislating picky stuff (the Blasphemy Law, at a time of our economic crisis, comes to mind) could finally sit down now and pass legislation that would outlaw putting a debtor in prison. And while they are at it, doing something about the bankruptcy laws too.
Isn’t writing laws what the legislature is supposed to do? – Yours, etc,