Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

These amendments, on the advice of the Parliamentary Counsel, make some changes to penalties for offences. The financial penalty for summary offences is increasing from €3,000 to €5,000 in line with the recent increases in the jurisdictional limit of the District Court. The penalties for indictable offences are rebalanced. The maximum financial penalty is increased and the maximum prison term is reduced. These changes result in more appropriate penalties for the offence in question.

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