A total of 7,540 people, or an average of 21 people a day, were committed to prison for failing to pay fines and debts in the last four years, new figures reveal.
The statistics, which show that an average of 1,800 people a year are being put behind bars for failing to pay fines such as motor and road traffic offences and for civil debt issues, were described as "staggering" by Fine Gael Justice spokesman, Deputy Jim O'Keeffe.
In an answer to a written Dáil question from Deputy O'Keeffe, Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell said that in 2003 1,800 people were committed to prison for non-payment of fines and 213 for non-payment of debts.
The figure for 2004 was 1,599 committals for non-payment of fines and 200 for non-payments of debt, while in 2005, 1,798 were sent to jail for not paying a fine and 223 for non-payment of debt. Up to the end of last month, 509 had been sent to jail for non-payment of fines, while 198 had been committed for debts.
Mr McDowell said that on Monday of this week there were seven people in custody for debt-related offences. "This includes six people in respect of whom the debt-related offence is the principal basis for their imprisonment" Mr McDowell said.
Figures from the Prison Service show that the total committals to Irish prisons in 2004 were 10,657, which means that almost one in five committals are for non-payment of fines or civil debt.
Last night Mr O'Keeffe described the figures as an "outrage", saying they reflect the kind of society we have in this country. "The reality is that this proves people are being put into prison for being poor. There must be a better way of dealing with issues of people not paying fines or debts. . ."
He added: "It is clear that the majority of these people are on social welfare and simply can't afford to pay their debts or fines." Mr O'Keeffe said he introduced the Enforcement of Court Orders Bill in the Dáil in 2004, which was voted down by Fianna Fáil and the PDs. This measure allowed for fines to be paid directly every week from social welfare payments.
"This would be a win-win situation as far as the rule of law prevails. Under the Bill a fine could be paid off with an amount every week taken from social welfare payments. You save the Garda time and resources involved in arresting a person . . . and you save the huge cost of keeping people in prison. It costs a minimum of a few thousand euro a week to keep someone in Irish prisons."
Mr McDowell did not give a breakdown in his reply to Deputy O'Keeffe as to the average length of stay for those committed for non-payment of fines or debts.