Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 174: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of people who were committed to prison in the past five years for non-payment of fines following court proceedings initiated by An Post for not having a television licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6380/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below.

These figures relate to persons committed to prison for breach of the Broadcasting and Wireless Telegraphy Act 1988, where a fine or a prison sentence or indeed both may be imposed for not having a television licence.

I can advise the Deputy that such persons held in custody are held for very short periods of time and comprise a tiny fraction of the overall prisoner population. To illustrate this point, figures relating to 16 February, 2009, indicate that there was only 1 person in custody for non-payment of fines in relation to not having a television licence.