Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when he will provide for the commencement of Section 18 the Fines Act 2000 thus providing for community service being imposed on a convicted person as opposed to a fine to address the current situation whereby community service orders are currently made in lieu of a prison sentence only; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53680/12]

Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when he will provide for the commencement of Section 19 of the Fines Act 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53681/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 208 and 209 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Government recently approved the drafting of the Fines (Amendment) Bill 2012, the Scheme of which is available on my Department's website (www.justice.ie). The Scheme provides, inter alia, for the introduction of attachment of earnings orders to collect unpaid fines. It also recasts a number of the key provisions in the 2010 Act in relation to instalments, recovery orders and community service orders, which will necessitate amendments to sections 15, 16 and 18 of the Act, as well as consequential changes to section 19. In the circumstances, it is not my intention to commence the remaining sections of the Act until after the necessary amendments have been made. I hope that it will be possible to enact the Fines (Amendment) Bill during 2013.