Debts dominate civil court hearings

PERSONAL and business debts dominated the civil courts last year.

It emerged yesterday that the Courts Service is still seeking the funding to implement provisions in the Fines Act — passed over a year ago — to enable it to stop jailing thousands of people every year for the non-payment of fines.

The 2010 Courts Service report shows that families are under stress, with jumps in HSE child supervision orders and care orders, which requires removing children from the family home.