Seanad debates

Wednesday, 18 June 2008

Broadcasting Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed)

 

9:00 am

Photo of David NorrisDavid Norris (Independent)

I am extraordinarily disappointed in the Minister of State's response. He seems to be having it from both sides. On the one hand, he is suggesting that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform will provide for some movement in this area in the fines Bill. On the other hand, he mouths a defence of this situation, which is indefensible, as everybody knows, including many of the judges. I had dinner this evening with the former Senator, Mary Henry, and two people who were briefing me on an important medical matter in the Third World. The other woman involved was a senior magistrate from Britain who had heard of these kinds of cases. She said that she routinely refuses to send people to jail for this type of offence because it is madness. It is madness because it is socially destructive.

It is immediately relevant because within the past six months I believe a single mother in Cork had her six year old child yanked out of her arms. Luckily some of her neighbours looked after the child while the woman was jailed for approximately a week. It was madness. She did not have the money to pay and she was put into jail. How much did that cost the Exchequer? What kind of economy is that? I have suggested applying an attachment of earnings. It is obscene to send poor people to jail for non-payment of television licence fees. I doubt if people are as mean-minded as the Minister of State says and that they are looking over their shoulders and saying the single mother did not pay her television licence fee.

I agree that people ought to pay their television licence fees. However, the penalties should be proportionate and should take into account the social circumstances of the person involved. I have included in my amendment a mechanism whereby an attachment could be made of the earnings in cases where there are earnings. I will not press the amendment, partly because there is practically nobody from either side here to vote. I ask the Minister of State to reconsider the matter. To refresh his mind, there has been the one case I mentioned and there were several others. I believe there was one in Limerick approximately a year ago. It is an obscenity in this day and age that people should be sent to jail for such offences. I will not stand over it. While I will not call a vote tonight, I sure as blazes will on Report Stage. While I know the Minister of State is a decent man, he has tried to defend something that is indefensible. He did not even give an assurance that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform would abolish this. It is nonsense. Jails are a mess and should be used for the most dangerous criminals. Stuffing people like these into jails is an obscene farce.

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