Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 13: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of people that were imprisoned for failure to pay fines and civil debts to date in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19456/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I can advise the Deputy that the number of such persons actually held in custody at any one time is a minute fraction of the overall prisoner population. To illustrate this point, 9 prisoners out of a total of 4214 or 0.2 % of the prison population on 10 May 2010 fell into this category. As the Deputy will know the new Fines Bill completed Report and Final Stage in the Seanad earlier this week. The Bill makes provision for the use of non-custodial options for the non-payment of fines such as Community Service. I expect the number of committals for non-payment of fines to fall substantially once this legislation comes into force.

I wish to inform the Deputy that the number of committals to prison for failing to pay fines is 1431 up to and including 31st March 2010. The number of committals for the same period for failing to pay a civil debt is 3.