Mr. Peter Mullan:

The level of District Court, Garda and other fines in that period has remained quite consistent. However, the Fines (Payment and Recovery) Act 2014 has not operated in the manner that was expected. It was always going to take a two-year period from when it commenced in 2016 to see how it was going to work. It provided, for the first time, for people to be able to pay a fine by instalments.

That had never before been in existence. Instalment was a practical way by which people could pay fines. If fines are paid by instalment, there will be a delay in the moneys coming to the Exchequer. It takes a number of years to see how this will work out. There was an element of having to wait to see how it would work.