Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Bill. I have been campaigning for a Bill such as this for many years. The current system, where fines are concerned, is an absolute farce. We all know that. Given that many fines cannot be collected, a mechanism should be put in place where people who want to do so can pay by instalments. There are quite a number of people who will not pay, irrespective of whether they can or not. These people are with us. A few years ago I recall suggesting an attachment of earnings order and so on and I was accosted in the street by a guy who said:

The cheek of you, trying to take money out of my pocket. I have been in jail several times. I will never pay a fine.

There are people who will go jail for payment of fines. They go through the courts system. They are taken by taxi or some other means to Mountjoy Prison and are incarcerated for a couple of hours or a day and their fines and debts are all written off.