Court fines worth almost €50m remain unpaid

The latest figures from the Courts Service of Ireland show that the rate of evasion is increasing, with €16.5 million overdue at the end of 2017 compared to €7.5 million in 2011.

Jim O’Callaghan, justice spokesperson for Fianna Fáil, said: “Serious questions need to be answered as to why fines, worth such a substantial amount of money, have still not been collected. Many of these date back years and total almost €50m.”

He added: “What steps is the minister taking to ensure that these fines are being paid? €48m is a considerable amount of money which could be well invested in a number of areas. Minister Fitzgerald needs to get serious about tackling this issue.

“The current situation is making a mockery of the fines system as criminals can continue to refuse to pay them as they know they will not be followed up. This undermines our criminal justice system as, if fines are not paid, then offenders are faced with no real deterrent.”