Almost €1 million owed to the state in unpaid district court fines in Donegal

An MEP has described the extraordinary amount of unpaid district court fines in Ireland as a slap in the face to the victims of their crimes.

Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, a former barrister, obtained the figures after the Irish Courts service released figures, under the freedom of information act, which show that almost €45 million in unpaid district court fines are outstanding across Ireland’s district court system since 2020. €910,113.34 of this relates to county Donegal.

There is €705,810.73 outstanding in the Letterkenny District Court office since 2020, and €204,302.61 outstanding in Donegal District Court in that time.

Ní Mhurchú has 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 shoplifting,” she says. “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 extra Garda on our streets. It is time for a get tough approach to those criminals who feel they are above the law. Our road deaths have been rising in Ireland for consecutive years. How can we expect any improvement in that scenario when those fined for traffic offences may choose not to pay the fine?

Ní Mhurchú argues that the Fines (Payment and Recovery) Act 2014, which came into force on January 11, 2016, is clearly not working when it comes to the recovery of most outstanding fines. The act provides for alternative orders to imprisonment in the event that a court-imposed fine is not paid. The act allowed those convicted to pay fines in instalments, and introduced measures including attachment of earnings for unpaid fines, community service and the appointment of receivers to recover fines. Ní Mhurchú feels it is time to implement the measures set out in the 2014 act aggressively.

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“Clearly, the courts service is not implementing the measures set out in the 2014 act. The act allows measures up to and including taking someone’s social welfare or salary to pay the fines due,” she adds. “Is this being done? The courts service will say it takes time to collect fines but over €2.2m is still owing from 2020 and over €5.5m is still owing from 2021!!”

Ní Mhurchú’s figures show that 133,851 fines across the state have yet to be paid in full in our district court system.

Unpaid fines since 2020: Bray €1.4 million; Cork €3.2 million; Dublin €13.3 million; Dundalk €1.07 million; Galway €2.4 million; Limerick €3.4 million; Naas €3.7 million; Tralee €1.05 million;
Portlaoise €1.17 million; Trim €1.47 million; Nenagh €799,000.