Over half of Mayo court fines are still unpaid

NEW figures show €478,649 worth of court fines have been imposed in Co. Mayo for 2018 and 2017, with €265,965 still due to be paid, writes CLAIRE McNAMARA.

Details released by the Courts Service under the Freedom of Information Act show that 347 fines were imposed in the Castlebar court in 2018, with 202 fines still due to be paid - amounting to €88,035. Eighteen fines are part paid, five fines are pending an appeal, while 122 have been paid in full.

In Ballina, a total of 179 fines were issued, with €32,880 due for payment, 12 have been part paid (€6,200), an appeal is pending on nine fines, while 49 have been paid in full.

Meanwhile, in Westport some 28 fines remain outstanding (€9,550), six remain part paid, while 27 have been paid in full.

Separately, Belmullet and Achill had a total of 39 fines imposed between them, with €6,950 still due.

In 2017, a total of €129,050 remain outstanding across the five court areas, while there were 132 more fines imposed than in 2018.

The Castlebar court area had the highest number of fines imposed during the year (446), while Ballina had 209.

A spokesperson for the Courts Service said: "As the months and years go on from when fines are imposed, the collection rate increases as more people are pursued via certain methods - so there would be more of the 2017 fines paid now taen were showing as paid in 2018."

The Fines (Payment and Recovery) Act provides an array of options for courts to ensure that outstanding fines are paid, which include making a community order service, making an attachment or earnings order requiring deductions from their salary, or making a recovery order.

Only as a last resort, when all other options are found to be unsuitable, will a committal order issue.

If an individual does not pay a fine or only pays part of a fine and ignores a fines enforcement notice requiring their attendance at court, at that point courts have the power to issue bench warrants, requiring their local superintendent to bring the person back before the court.