Almost €45 million in district court fines remain unpaid across the State’s district court system since 2020.
The figures, released by the Courts Service to MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú under the Freedom of Information Act, show that 133,851 fines across the State have yet to be paid in full.
Ms Ní Mhurchú, a former barrister, described the situation as a slap in the face to victims of crimes.
The Fianna Fáil MEP called for the issue of unpaid district court fines to be included in the upcoming review of the criminal justice system which was promised in the 2025 Programme for Government.
“What does this say to the victims who have been impacted by crimes such as drink driving, assault, theft, and shop lifting,” Ms Ní Mhurchú asked.
“We are imposing fines that a percentage of criminals are choosing to ignore and it seems there is little we are doing about it. €45 million would fund a lot of domestic violence refuges, road safety campaigns and…
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