Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prisoners committed to jail during 2009 for non-payment of fines; the proportion of the total number committed to prison during 2009 that this represents; his views on whether this is the best use of prison facilities when those convicted of serious offences have been getting early release because of overcrowding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19590/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The information requested by the Deputy will be included in the Irish Prison Service Annual Report 2009 which is due to be published shortly. I can advise the Deputy that provisional figures collated indicate that the total number of committals to the prison system in 2009 amounted to 15,425 of which 4,806 related to the non-payment of fines. This equates to 31% of the total committals. I can also 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 0.2% of the prison population on 10 May 2010 fell into this category.

As the Deputy will appreciate the Irish Prison Service must accept all prisoners committed by the Courts into its custody and do not have the option of refusing committals. It is the case that there has been a consistent increase in the total prisoner population over recent years. This situation is particularly apparent over the past 12 months during which time the total number in custody has increased by 308. This represents approximately an 8% of a rise in the number in custody.

At present the most common non-custodial sanction used by the Courts, who are independent in the exercise of their functions, is the imposition of a fine. 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.