Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 568: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons imprisoned for fine default during 2011; the number of persons imprisoned for fine default during the first six months of 2012. [34859/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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A breakdown of the number of committals imprisoned for non-payment of fines for the year 2011 and the first six months of 2012 is set out in the following table.

* The 2011 figures are provisional pending the publication of the Irish Prison Service Annual Report.

I can advise the Deputy that the number of such persons held in custody at any one time is a tiny fraction of the overall prisoner population. To illustrate this point, on 30th June, 2012 there were 22 prisoners or 0.5 percent of the numbers in prison custody that fell into this category.