New court fine payment system will "dramatically reduce" number of jail sentences

The long-awaited introduction of a new system for payment of court fines in stages will “dramatically reduce” the number of people being sent to jail, the head of the Irish prison system has said.

Michael Donnellan said the amount of time currently spent processing fine defaulters — numbering almost 9,000 in 2014 — could now go on other important areas.

The Irish Prison Service director general said prison should “only be used as a last resort” and that an instalment system for paying fines was consistent with that principle.