There are currently 53 people in prison principally for non-payment of a fine and a further six people whose main offence is debt-related.

This compares with just eight people currently jailed for speeding offences and 69 people in prison for drink-driving offences. While a further 994 were imprisoned for "other road traffic offences", justice minister Michael McDowell said that 70% of the 1,071 people committed for speeding, drink-driving and other road traffic offences "were also committed to prison on conviction on foot of other offences".

The figures were revealed in a series of answers to Dail questions put down by Fine Gael justice spokesman Jim O'Keeffe, who was critical of the number of people jailed for non-payment of fines or debts. "Prison is a place for criminals, " he said. "Putting people there for non-payment of fines or debts is an enormous waste of resources. . .

and is the wrong policy."

O'Keeffe stressed he was not in favour of "letting off" those who didn't pay fines or debts. In 2004 he introduced an Enforcement of Court Orders Bill in the Oireachtas which would have ensured that those who refuse to pay fines or debts would have the amount deducted directly from their wage or social welfare payments. O'Keeffe said this would have increased the level of uncollected fines and ended the practice of imprisoning the "unfortunate person" who failed to discharge fines or debts. The government rejected the bill.

The Cork South-West TD said the comparatively small numbers imprisoned for drink-driving and speeding "highlights how ludicrous the system is." A spokeswoman for the Minister for Justice said that a Fines Bill was currently being drafted.