The court poor box into which defendants in Kerry could pay money to avoid convictions has been scrapped.

Almost €400,000 out of a nationwide total of more than €1.5m was paid into Kerry District Court poor boxes last year.

Almost €1.3 million was paid in fines into the court poor box in 2015.

The country’s 11,300 frontline gardaí may resign in a mass protest, if the Government ploughs ahead with its plan to impose further pay cuts on members.

The Garda Benevolent Trust Fund, originally set up to deal with cases of severe illness, is now having to help frontline members of the force pay ESB and gas bills.