18th October 2011
Key provisions of the Fines Act 2010, which will provide for payment of fine's by instalment, will not be implemented for at least a year because the courts computer system has not been updated to process such cases, reports Cormac O'Keeffe in the Irish Examiner.
The article reports that 5,400 fine defaulters have been imprisoned in Ireland so far this year. However, despite the "huge sum spent on administering their admission, stay and release", fine defaulters spend little time in custody.
A spokesperson for the IPRT is quoted in the report as stating:
"The minister has stated the estimated cost of upgrading the courts’ ICT system is €400,000. This seems minor when considered against the costs of sending nearly 7,000 fine defaulters to prison in 2010. At around €200 per day, not including Garda and courts time, this practice costs the state millions every year. It makes no sense at all to delay this upgrade."
Read the full article here.
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.