22nd January 2014
The Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013 is scheduled to return to Dáil Éireann at Committee Stage on Wednesday 22nd January 2014. A number of amendments have been tabled for consideration by the Committee.
IPRT broadly welcomes the intention of the 2013 Bill – which is to reduce the number of people imprisoned for fine default. However, we believe that a number of amendments are necessary for the legislation to achieve its purpose, which is to end the costly and damaging practice of imprisonment for fines default.
There were 8,304 committals to prison for fines default in 2012 – including 1,687 female committals; the number of women committed to prison in 2012 for fines default (1,687) represented a five-fold increase on 2008, when 339 women were imprisoned for fines default.
IPRT has previously issued recommendations in relation to the earlier legislation (Fines Act 2010), and also the Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013, including the following:
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For more information or comment, contact Fíona on 087-181 2990
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.