Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Social thought and studies about imprisonment in Ireland, and the damage it does to people, show that imprisoning people who have trouble paying a television licence, for example, is an extremely expensive and disruptive way of dealing with matters. I liked the Minister of State's emphasis on the attachment of earnings and deductions from social welfare payments.

I am concerned about the provisions in this section for "imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months" and "imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years". I thought we were trying to move away from debtors' prisons. Why retain such lengthy sentences when the emphasis in modern criminology is on getting in the money and avoiding the cost to the State of imprisoning people, many of whom are allowed out remarkably quickly?

I support the bona fides of the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, and of the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy O'Dowd, in that regard. Are these such serious items that we still envisage non-payment can have one jailed for five years or 12 months? Is there a general view in the Department of Justice and Equality we should be moving away from imprisonment? I thought, in line with popular opinion, the Oireachtas would no longer wish to imprison people for owing relatively small sums of money.