Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate what Senator Barrett says. Sometimes, however, prison needs to be used as a deterrent. Unfortunately, all too often the first response was to send someone to prison. In recent years, 8,000 people have been imprisoned, even just for a day, for non-payment of fines. This Bill is reforming in that it will dramatically reduce that number and make alternatives available, such as collecting the money at source from someone's workplace. I would like to see this method extended to social welfare and pension payments. I cannot understand why it is not done. It should be equitable. The sharing of information between State agencies is welcome and should have happened years ago, and should happen more than it does.

On the contrary, I suggest that this piece of legislation will dramatically reduce the revolving door within prisons as a result of non-payment of fines. There will be sensible ways of collecting fines, including the likes of community service.

To be fair to the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, he is committed to alternatives to prison, as evidenced by his support of the Private Members' motion on community courts that I tabled three or four weeks ago, and the commitment to set up a pilot community court between Store Street and Pearse Street Garda stations in Dublin by the end of this year. They are testament to his commitment to ensuring that prison is a last resort. Nevertheless, there must be last resorts, and in the final analysis, courts should have the option available to them if nothing else works.