Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I also welcome the passage of the Bill, particularly the changes it makes in allowing the courts to impose community service orders where persons default on fines, empowering them to make provision for payment by instalment, etc. As previous speakers stated, it is to be hoped this will reduce the shocking numbers who are imprisoned for defaulting on fines and clogging up the prison system at great human, social and economic cost.

I thank the Irish Penal Reform Trust for briefing us on the Bill and providing its views on it. I welcome the fact that we are passing legislation which will go some way towards reducing our over-reliance on imprisoning people and, by increasing the use of community service orders, make imprisonment a genuine penalty of last resort.