12 January 2016
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Fine Gael Senator for Cork North Central, Colm Burke, has welcomed the commencement of the Fines (Payment & Recovery) Act 2014.
The introduction of this legislation means that the non- payment of fines will no longer result in prison sentences except as a last resort, instead the fine can be deducted from a person’s earnings by way of installments.
The Government member of the Oireachtas said
“The introduction of this necessary legislation is to be warmly welcomed. It will dramatically reduce the amount of people being imprisoned for non-payment of fines and will free up resources within our prison system. This system is logical and proportionate and will go a long way towards dealing with the non-payment of fines.
“Following the non-payment of fines, this legislation allows for fines to be deducted from a person’s earning at source by instalments, following the issuance of an attachment order. If the fine still remains unpaid, the court can impose a community service order. Only if this order is not adhered to, can the court impose a prison sentence.”
What do you, the reader, think about this story….
What about people who want to protest an unfair fine? People who want to go to prison as a martyr to highlight (as best they can) the plight that led to the fine being imposed in the first place? Ireland was built on martyrs and strikers? What do you think, leave comments below or tweet @TheCork_ie
