Michael Kitt (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the principle of the amendment and the need to look at the actual amount being levied in fines. If the fines are not index-linked, we will probably have to return with further Bills to increase them as the years go by. Will the Minister of State indicate if this will happen or if some other Minister will bring in legislation? On a number of occasions in the Dáil I raised the issue of paying fines by instalment and I was informed by the then Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform that he would have to bring in new legislation or the Constitution might have to be changed.

We are all aware of difficult cases. I may be straying from the point made by Senator Bannon, but there are difficulties for people in paying fines. It appears to be the only area where one cannot pay by instalment. Perhaps the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform should bring in a Bill to deal with the question of indexing fines and paying fines by instalment.