Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 183: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of persons who were committed to prison in the past five years for non-payment of fines following court proceedings initiated by An Post for not having a television licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2684/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I expect the number of committals for non-payment fines to fall substantially once the Fines Bill 2009 has been enacted. The information requested by the Deputy for the years 2005 to 2009 is set out in the table that follows this reply. These figures relate to persons committed to prison for breach of the Broadcasting and Wireless Telegraphy Act 1988 where a fine or a prison sentence or indeed both may be imposed for not having a television licence.

I can advise the Deputy that the number of such people held in custody at any one time is a tiny fraction of the overall prisoner population. To illustrate this point, figures relating to 20 January 2010 indicate that there was no person in custody for non-payment of fines in relation to not having a television licence.