Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 288: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons imprisoned for non-payment of television fines, dog licence fines or parking fines in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010; the average custodial sentence for each category; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12848/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. These figures relate solely to persons committed for non payment of television fines, dog licence fines or parking fines for the years 2007 to 2010.

The average custodial sentence length for each category is set out in the following table.

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, on 23rd May 2011 no prisoners in custody fell into these categories.

As the Deputy may be aware, the Fines Act 2010 introduces a number of measures to prevent the automatic imprisonment of fine defaulters. In particular, it has provisions dealing with capacity to pay, payment by instalments, recovery by appointment of a receiver and community service in default of payment of a fine. I intend to introduce further measures which will allow recovery by means of attachment of earnings orders.