A total of 5,956 people were sent to Mountjoy prison in 1996 while 6,680 were committed last year, the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, told Mr Pat Rabbitte, (DL, Dublin South-West). Of that number 752, or 12.63 per cent, were for non-payment of fines in 1996 and 823, or 12.32 per cent, last year.
In a written reply he stressed that at any one time about 1 per cent of the prison population is in custody for non-payment of fines.