Jailing for fines down by 1,000 cases

The number of people being jailed for failing to pay court fines has fallen by around 1,000 following the introduction of laws aimed at effectively eliminating the sanction, writes Cormac O’Keefe, Irish Examiner reporter.

And officials believe the trend will grow significantly over the coming years as the effects of the new system — only introduced at the start of the year — kicks in fully.