Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

The key point is that the Courts Service is being clogged up and Garda time is being wasted. The figures we have for 2007 show that in the first six months, 88,000 people chose not to pay the fixed penalties and court notices were issued. Some 23,700 were struck out, 43,000 were not served and only 14,000 resulted in fines. That is extremely unfair to people who opt to pay their fines and not go to court.

The key change the Minister must make is to introduce a default position whereby if people opt not to go to court in the first seven days or whatever, the level of the fine should be automatically increased if it is not paid within 20 or 40 days. As I understand it, the Courts Service is being prevented from doing its normal work because it is obliged to process these minor infringements, which were never intended to go before the courts in any event. The sooner the Minister introduces legislation to amend the position, the better.

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