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A DONEGAL COUNTY councillor has criticised gardaí for sending a single mother from Donegal to Mountjoy prison for not paying her TV licence.
Gary Doherty told Highland Radio the woman was awoken at 7.10am on a Monday a few weeks ago, when two uniformed gardaí knocked on her door.
The Sinn Féin councillor said the gardaí “informed her that she was for ‘up the road’ meaning that she was being taken to Mountjoy prison for fail to pay a TV licence fine of €450″.
The fine was handed down in Letterkenny District Court last spring. Doherty said the mother-of-one had already paid €212 of the money she owed.
“It was deemed by whoever was in charge that day that it was worthwhile taking two gardaí away from their duties here and taking her the whole way to Mountjoy.
The woman was taken by taxi to Mountjoy’s Dóchas Centre, where she was held for three hours before being given a bus ticket home to Donegal.
Doherty questioned the logic of this – and how much it cost.
“It’s completely morally wrong to my mind to take this lady to the Dóchas centre in Mountjoy. It’s criminal misuse of Garda resources.”
When you think of the money it would cost. This woman had to be taken to Dublin in a taxi through Sligo and Longford to Dublin.
Doherty said he has requested a meeting with the superintendent at Letterkenny Garda Station to find out why the woman was jailed.
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Jail someone for not paying a TV license, yet in Drogheda a drug dealer get a community service sentence.
“It was deemed by whoever was in charge that day that it was worthwhile taking two gardaí away from their duties here and taking her the whole way to Mountjoy.”
Yes but in the scheme of things it is more important that the government has a vibrant,well paid propaganda ministry ( RTE) than jailing druggies.
Dans ce pays-ci, il est bon de tuer de temps en temps un amiral pour encourager les autres – “In this country, it is wise to kill an admiral from time to time to encourage the others.”
You couldn’t have Ryan Tubridy, Joe Duffy, Nicky Byrne,Gay Byrne, Ray D’Arcy and the other men and voices of the people running around in rags, now could you Ben?
The taxi fare was dearer than the tv license
Leslie, you miss the whole point of the exercise.!
intimidation.!!
If even struggling single mothers can go to jail for TV licence default..well.. need I say more.?
This is a complete joke to our values as a society, I tough we were deemed as good people, but I agree with you Ben Dawkins.
Jailing someone for not paying a fine related to a refusal to pay a miserable TV License.
Isn’t it better to joint the TV license system with the Irish Credit Bureau and give that person a bad credit record so all lenders can see their credit records? Hurst them where it hurts but jailing is the opposite of an eye for an eye, more of a heart, liver and both eyes for an eye
The point sean is that everybody has to go to jail for tv licence non-payment…
The point of the article is that she was taken to jail in Dublin (do they not have jails in Donegal?) for 3 hours, taken there by taxi and then brought home by bus at significant cost to the state!
If it has to be done (regardless of your opinion on tv licences, and in fairness the gardaí were only doing their job) a jail cell in a local garda station would probably have sufficed no?
Reading Saul Goodman’s posts it looks like he banged his head in shower recently
Use fear to control the people and make others think twice about not paying for utilities.
And her being a single mother has what exactly to with her status as a convict?
What about the child (children)?
Dragged off with their mother,,or with a social,worker?
Whatever next?
O’Callaghan , Duffy & Tubs should use their positions, to push for the reintroduction of public floggings, we cannot have a situation where the proletariat are allowed to get away with CRIME so lightly ;-)
While I don’t agree with jailing this person over something like a TV fine – especially as she had made some efforts to pay it off… the argument that the process cost more than the offence is wrong. We cannot only jail people based on a cost benefit analysis.
no one should be going to prison for non payment of fine, community service or other methods should be available.. even half the real criminals don’t go to prison
Fact-check please Denis.
An unnecessary attack on the gardai again by a sinn fein councillor. The gardai didn’t decide to lock her up. It’s the courts. The gardai didn’t take her to court for this offence nor did they play any part other than following a court order, would thus sin fein councillor rather the gardai who obey the laws be locked up for contempt of a court order??? Maybe If she couldn’t pay she shouldn’t have had her 42inch flat screen. Why are the gardai berated for doing the exact thing they are employed to do.
Saul, you obviously know nothing about TV licences, Credit or the Irish Credit Bureau. A TV licence has nothing to do with credit or a credit rating. The system of fining and jailing people for non payment of a TV licence is a joke as it is, without your wild scheme. “Sorry Mr Goodman, you can’t get a mortgage because you didn’t buy a TV licence”. Hmmmmm
Get a grip you brak the law, you pay the price.
@cholly, I’ve no problem with your comment re the Garda & Courts.
But I’m interested to know…. how you know, that she had a ’42inch flat screen’… did you read this somewhere? or look in her window? or are you just displaying your bias?
It was on a comment about it on fb. Not exactly reliable but I’m more than willing to believe it
Nail on the head
She won’t have to pay sky in the joy.
Tubridy should drag her onto the Late Late when she comes out and demand to know what an eath she was playing at.
Cholly, the garda are well able to break the law when it suits and get away with it “the law” hahahahahahahahaha in ireland ffs.
Have a heart. She paid over half of it and they wasted money on a taxi and bus fare for her. Where’s the logic in that?
Yes martin, and they are well accountable too. The garda with no previous convictions who moved a camera in Waterford or Wexford got 1.5yrs in prison.
We’ll get to see bad-cop-Tubs again just like the Paul Murphy interview
He moved a camera trying to distort evidence of his thug buddies beating the life out of a innocent person. He should have got 5yrs, accountable you’re having a laugh.
Hardly intimidation. All this exercise proves is that when you don’t pay your tv licence and are caught, all it costs you is a day trip to Dublin. This woman’s fine is gone now, she’s clear. She’s probably pissed off she paid any portion. I know I would be.
If we live in North Korea maybe. Btw I agree to an extent but you can’t have hardened criminals walking out one door with hundreds of previous convictions on probation or suspended sentences
@Ben
I know I’ll get a lot of red thumbs for this but…. ah, what the hell.
She was released after three hours. She was imprisoned, not for failing to pay the licence fee “per se”, but for failing to pay the fine for failing to pay the licence fee. The broadcasting charge hasn’t been introduced yet. Therefore, she could have just sold the TV instead.
Yet no banker went to jail.?
RTE are simply an over-staffed, overpaid government propaganda machine, which I refuse to finance.
Enda Kenny – Not one penny….!!
@ cholly appleseed how do you know if she has a 42inch flat screen tv?? if she has maybe it was a gift or in the property. this is the kind of mentality that comes from some one that is angry with their lot in life!! a tv is a basic commodity , now agreed we all should pay our bills and if she was not making any effort then some course of action should have been given, but prison , really??? this poor woman has been used and made an example of and it goes deeper than a tv licience and the authorities are trying to send a message to everyone…pay up or prison for non payment.
i work in communities and it is very rare that you come across some one who totally refuses to pay for things in general. people simply cannot afford it and if a tv is all she may have for her child and herself as a way of entertainment are we gone so uncaring and begrudging that we want a young woman to go to prison. people are trying to pay for the essentials rent, food and heat . cholly i meet people like you every day of the week , with comments like they have a tv, a washing machine , a buggy, a car insinuating that these basics in life are only for the chosen few. have some sympathy , you cholly you might some day find yourself in a similar situation!
spelling error licence!
@Ciarán
Yep, we simply cannot have the children of poor people getting free entertainment. They should have to sit in the dark ;-)
This woman how has a criminal record, all the more useful for getting out of that poverty trap and becoming a member of society that can contribute taxes like the rest of us.
Justanothertaxpayer, people are being refused urgent medical and social care based on a cost benefit analysis, it’s the language of capitalism.
Exactly.. If that happened to me, you or the millionaire down the road no one would have anything to say about it. She was warned, and didn’t pay it. That’s what happened, regardless of being a single mother or not.
Loving the compassion Lisa. Perhaps she simply did not have the cash?
It could been an option of pay the rent or the TV licence.
And the revenue look the other way: HSBC, Irish tax dodgers.
You have this simplistic attitude, maybe she couldn’t afford it. Why don’t you look at the simple solution, get rid of the TV !!
Judging because we don’t have all the answers. Perhaps she can’t afford it. Grand. Get rid of tv. The actual questions I’d like the councillor to find out is. “What size is tv? Is she paying sky ntl etc? Has she holidayed abroad? How often does she drink or smoke? Does she work, has she ever? . I’m making assumption on experience. I expect people who break the law to be punished and for the record, boo hoo 3 hours in Mountjoy, cry me a river.
The judge should be fired for his stupidity
There is a protest out side rte against there government propaganda on 7 march.Bankers can decimate a country and not go to jail.But a mother dont pay a tv licence and gets jail.Boycott rte tripe it does us no service keep your 160 euro and buy something for your kids.do we really need rte lies its a waste of tax payers money imagine paying one man tubridy 450 thousand a year to sit on his a#se wake up thats crazy.The guards should have more sense.Its statutory law not law big difference .
Cholly it’s really really hard to buy a CRT TV these days. Far easier and cheaper to buy a flat screen tv. Also 42″ flat screens are not particularly expensive either, unless they are Smart.
She paid €221 off €450 , balance of €229, the taxi alone with 3 passengers from Donegal would easily cost €250 and the bus ticket at least €30 , how does this make any sense ?
Cholly you are wrong there … The garda were the ones who chose to enforce that warrant …. There are thousands of people with warrants for arrest for non payment that are not enforced the garda had to make the decision to put their resources to that task instead of other things
@Ivan
We don’t know whether or not she’s unemployed. We also don’t know whether or not it will affect her career prospects. Another unanswered question is: Where’s the father of her children?
As for entertainment, there are other ways of keeping oneself occupied, i.e. reading, going for a walk.
Who in his day and age doesn’t have a 42″ flat screen?
Horrible aul bitterness is horrible…
The article stated she had so far paid 212e, obviously strapped and trying her best.
God almighty some people…
It’s the staggering cost that people have a problem with are people dumb?
2 cops a taxi the length of the country for what??
I pay a licience for my T V, a licience to drive a car, a licience to own a dog and I get no value for money. My money used to pay these liciense was used to take that mother to jail. I now believe it is time to think twice about the use of my money and what am I paying for. RTE is rubbish, my liciense get renewed every decade when it has the same name etc.. On it , my dog is my best friend and I pay a liciense for this privilege .
My question is do you think if they stopped sending people to jail for non payment they could reduce the liciense fees. This is double standards and theft from services coffers to dictate and put fear into good decent people who pay USC, PRSI, paye , how the f**k can we aford a liciense , that explains the hospital mess. They need to put our monies to better use than picking on people living in poverty. This government fleeces us and asualts children and their hard pressed parents.
Well said Robin
this story is horrific. What is going on in RTE is an example of everything that is wrong in our society. The salaries of Joe Duffy, Brendan O’ Connor, Ray Darcy, Tubridy etc. are obscene.
RTE has not ‘cut its cloth to fit the measure’. Everyone in our society is suffering cutbacks or hardship – except organisations like RTE. Its time they faced reality, like everyone else has had to.
That’s pathetic cholly! For arguments sake if her TV is 12″ or 50″ it doesnt matter, she ma have got it at a good price or from a family member, that’s not to say she had the money to pay the licence or fine, what now, she and her family don’t deserve a TV is it? Honest to god, priorities in this country are seriously twisted at times. It was a waste of tax money, end of, that’s the point!
Cholly I think you’re just looking to rise people! Unless you have inside information or something about this woman! Otherwise you just judge people and are extremely sterotypical of others with no factual basis.
Funds aren’t always easy to come by though, plus the girl did make an effort she had half of it paid, jaysus your all very judge mental of people yet half the country are giving out about the water chargec because they can’t afford them!
Ooooh cholly you’re very angry with the world! Let’s take everything off the single mother and leave her with nothing and sure leave the kids with nothing either! She had half the fine paid, she was trying to pay it, well for you that you could afford to pay upfront!
A classic example of im allright jack, the smugness of people in this country makes me ashamed to be irish… fighting irish my arse! btw that name was given to an american army unit ,i suppose when they got to america they found something worth fighting for ,not like the sleeveens we have running this kip into the ground while lining their pockets and above the law while theyre at it, yes its mighty fine to pass illegal debt and taxes onto people from their grand position but the sickening fact is all the idiots who vote for them, and wouldnt know their arse from their elbow about whats really going on in this country, corruption etc.
Great use of Garda time
They should take her tv. Or force her to watch tg4 !
Tv3 only for a month as punishment. Wouldn’t be long paying license then.
Tg4 is the best channel on TV , great documentaries.
The police are only following orders.
water protesters and tv licence defaulters are all treated equally in the eyes of the law.
http://i62.tinypic.com/52zaxs.jpg
Pardon me for being devils advocate but at least she wont have to pay the remainder of the fine. A court fine is payable by time or money. So it took nearly a year to pay half maybe it was a hard ask to pay over that money. Now for the sake of 6 hours of travel and 3 hours of worry with all expensives paid she is free of the fine.
Tg4 is a very underrated channel, as the Sargent says their documentaries are excellent, their music shows are very good as well, best Irish channel by a mile.
Sean – An ironic statement from you , seeing as Gangster Bankers clearly aren’t !
Have you noticed that after SEVEN YEARS , not a single one has been Jailed for their Con on The Nation / Government / Citizens of Ireland ?
That’s true in a Sense Brendan but unfortunately she know has a criminal record which is ridiculous.
*now
You’re too soft UTV IRELAND for a month would be more fitting
She does not have a criminal record. Its not something that would bar her from doing anything, ever. Its just time served in lieu of a fine. Its actually good value(on her part not the states obviously) instead of paying the tv licence. The article is actually a story made of nothing.
Since the day she got convicted she has had a criminal record taking her to prison hasn’t changed that fact.
Just to be clear, you don’t get a criminal record for not paying a court fine, and the court fine is wiped out in lieu of the time spent. This happens more and more in Ireland for other items like motoring offences where they value a years motor tax at 5 days in prison. Can we not abolish all of these finable offences, and take them from general taxation, considering we pay for more than one licence poet household with the unemployment and pensioner subsidy. At least if they had a captain grant, they would be more accountable?
Meanwhile bankers who cost us billions get few community hours playing golf in their local toff club
Ah yes a country which has its priorities right
If she couldn’t afford a tv licence, is it not fair to say she shouldn’t have a tv. This will be controversial I know, but a large amount of single mothers are on the welfare gravy train in Dublin I wonder how many holidays this one went on, or how many times she goes to the pub a week etc…
I have no tv licence 4 year’s now, and a I am described to Sky Sports/Movies/Atlantic. See the difference is I like watching Sky, so ill pay for it..On the other hand I despise RTE and everything about it. Just never open your door to anybody or respond to letter’s. No prove they ever got in contact with you. They eventually give up. It’s marvellous
Way to stereotype there cholly…. does the fact she’s from Donegal make no difference to you??? Secondly she ciuld lile me had a TV in her parents house and then brought it with her when she moved hence the having a tv but no licence. As for the gravy train us single mothers are supposedly on please tell me how I get a ticket as I regularly have to forgo a meal to ensure my daughter is fed, clothed and has a supply of nappies.
I’ll admit there are a few career recipients but that is not the majority and so far in my pursuit to better myself Ive just gotten knock after knock and people who judge like you don’t help much either.
Ok so just to be clear. She received a summons to court, her case was heard before a judge she was convicted and given a fine or prison in lieu of non payment. She still has a conviction recorded against her regardless of whether she pays the fine or goes to prison. Conviction=record.
Great rugby coverage too
The RTE licence is far too expensive and pays for extravagant travel for too many people to too many places around the world. It is unnecessary and should be drastically cut back.
@ karen nidhochartaigh well said,, maybe cholly should spent some time as a single parent and see how it works out for cholly!
Its not about the choice of viewing. It about having the equipment to do so. If you chose to watch only dvds on your television you are still required to pay the fee. In time the law maybe changed to cover all devices capable of viewing a broadcast signal so computers tablets and phones could be subject to licence.
Scmbags parting a mother from her children for a day because she could not afford or did not want to pay the totally bs TV licence. And shame on the judgemental dirt bag people on her trying to justify such rubbish by telling themselves that she goes to the pub on state money aka she is a bad person …. The state blew 500 euro punishing this woman that is disgusting!!
I personally am ashamed to be a citizen in a country that would do this for such petty reasons
And the sport! Don’t forget the sport!
Just a little quote from Bob Dylan” steal a little and they throw you in jail steal a lot and they make you king ” enough said!
In other news. A convicted felon has been given a suspended sentence for armed robbery.
Wonder if any of the bankers being dragged kicking and screaming in front of that banking enquiry will do time? As they did in Iceland….
Our bankers Tony get community service. Our country is a joke. The top 1% ruling over the other 99%. It’s time we take back our own country from the corrupt elite.
No, I read somewhere that the statute of limitations has run out. Maybe someone can tell me if that’s do.
Mary, it’s well past. Delayed so anyone deemed to be responsible cannot be touched. Dont pay a TV licence, break an unjust injunction see where that gets you. The law is a farce.
not a chance tony, they’re just going to be asked some tough questions.
Can she not write a letter of apology like the criminals have to do?
Sorry for not paying. Same as the criminals write, sorry for killing your son drink driving, sorry for robbing you at knife point but i was stoned etc
You buy a TV , pay 23% tax to the gov on it, have UPC you pay 12.5% tax , don’t they get enough out of the consumer ? Why is a TV license necessary ?
@Kate
Those who pay UPC have BBC, Channel 4 and Sky in addition to the Irish channels. The licence fee is mostly for the running of RTÉ, which is the national English-language public-service broadcaster. RTÉ is also has commercial revenue because the Republic’s small population means that, unlike the BBC, RTÉ would be unable to function on the licence fee alone.
@Kate
TG4 also gets some of the licence fee. Commercial broadcasters also receive some of the licence fee, via the Sound and Vision fund.
There is nothing of any good on rte, it’s hopeless. Would happily commit to not watching rte tv or radio if it meant no licence fee. With the likes of Netflix and free to air satellite why bother, there’s plenty alternatives. I’d go so far as to say it’s a pleasure to watch programmes on bbc as there are no annoying ad breaks.
Thank God we live in a country where we’re diligently protected from these tv-licence dodgers who are the absolute scourge and bringers of untold suffering onto our society. I’m so glad we have our government, gardai, media and bankers.
Waste of time and money.RTE that is.
Only in Irelan! You can bring the country down to its financial knees and get off with community service….but dont pay a tv fine and they’ll taxi you across the country to lock you up! I wonder what the cost to the state will be when all those fines for Irish Water start rolling in. What a disgrace!
” I wonder what the cost to the state will be when all those fines for Irish Water start rolling in. What a disgrace!2
george grey, the state will spend countless millions in the next year sending out bills that will never be paid, and employing legal companies to follow them with threatening letters.
They are digging a deeper hole for themselves each passing day and I hope the people will ensure that Irish Water is finally buried at the ballot box, come May, 12 months.
Irish Examiner are saying we may get an election sooner “over EU ruling on Irish Water viability”. I’m just wondering does that just mean the EU are looking to replace our current shower of wasters with an equally malleable but maybe slightly more competent shower to follow on with this IW BS??
Conn rogers, the EU will do another whitewash job on Irish Water (like they did on Greece when it was allowed join the Euro)
I enjoyed this article too.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/cunning-thief-who-stole-manhole-covers-avoids-jail-314795.html
The knackers are robbing manhole covers from highways in broad daylight-and they don’t get a custodial sentence!!
Jaysus probably took her longer to get to Mountjoy then how long she spent there. Joke of a system.
The bleedin taxi journey would have cost as much as what the balance if her fine was. Ffs!
Wouldn’t surprise me if the taxi used, was owned by a relation of the person who made the decision to send this women to jail.
Funny, that also crossed my mind..
we really see a stroke behind every government decision nowadays.
just because i’m paranoid..doesn’t mean..
It’s just wrong!!
Sell off rte now and get rid of the license fee it is a relic of the Second World War and this kind of carry on is just plain wrong and immoral.
They will never sell RTE. It is their propaganda platform. Their half stories, biased interviews and edited footage keep many ignorant and voting. Sadly there is only one unbiased media outlet left in Ireland, Waterford Whispers.
Sadly there is only one unbiased media outlet left in Ireland, Waterford Whispers.
And surely the journal.ie.?
I find the refreshing lack of censorship in these blogs here,is in contrast to anything the daily papers will allow printed in their comments blogs..
What the **** is going on with this country?
Everyones broke, with all the other crap going they send some poor single women up to mount joy by taxi witch would the tax payers more then what shes ows left on her tv licence! And a bus ticket back?
And if you get caught slashing out a few 50bags you get community service? Ahh stoppp would yousss
Tubridy and his ilk must be delighted to see this kind of carry on to justify their ridiculous wages.
Have you any genuine reason to believe Ryan Tubridy takes pleasure in this? Be honest.
Of course, he collects his cheque every week.
“Have you any genuine reason to believe Ryan Tubridy takes pleasure in this? Be honest.”
I doubt Tubridy would be capable of taking pleasure in anybody but himself..
Will it be covered on Joe Duffy?
Mob rules.
But I think with common sense.
Firstly she is not jailed for failure to pay licence.
She is jailed for failure to pay fine imposed by a court if law.
She would first be told by inspector to sort it she didn’t. She got Simmons went to court got fined. Was informed she had x amount of time to pay.
She refused.
It then went to warrant. The guards call to her tell her about warrant. Give her a other month or more to pay. She refused.
She went to jail. Simple as.
But 3 hours normally I say is silly. Should be day or more.
In the case of donegal I suppose it is. But I bet she found cash to go home very quickly.
You should be a reporter for RTE.
Why?? Because I see the truth?
Charles you will see unicorns before you see the truth
Hopefully John. If I could catch one think of the fortune I’d have
Another example of our movement towards being a fascist state.
Yup. Facist. Yeah right
Another waste of taxpayers funds and Garda time, couldnt she have been taken to the nearest station.
RTE needs to be closed down , its getting money from advertising and a subsidy from the public.
….so we should close down 2 television stations, 4 radio stations as well as it’s online content and website? Really?
Yes it’s shite and unrepresentative of 2015 Ireland .
Wtf do we need a washington correspondent for, is she minding the bowl of shamrick from last year I’ve never seen her asking probing questions at a white house briefing , have you? why do we need to send a news team to french guyana to watch an eu rocket launch when i can see it online , as for the massive salaries well you can see where i stand im sure .
Grand so, if you’re happy paying your taxes (assuming you do, which is a stretch on this website) towards another 2000 people on the dole.
A week in over crowded Montjoy will cost the taxpayer around €1,500 to keep this lady. How this could be seen as an effective use of public prison space and money beggars belief. If this lady was a Banker its a bonus not prison she would have got.
Soft targets is all they want ….
I know people who can well afford to pay the tv licence but are not caught. Picking on the vunerable now seems fair game in this country. What a waste of garda resourses.
That’s very harsh in this day and age to send somebody to prison over a small debt. However, that councillor is wrong in blaming the Gardaí. It was a judge in a court who committed the woman to prison. The Gardaí were only the agent of this court.
Now I wonder, was this woman given a chance to pay? How many times did she appear in court before a judge on this issue? Was she in contempt of court? We don’t know the full facts of this case, so we react to the headline which is emotive and set up to get a reaction.
Nonetheless, it is a puerile waste of money to send anyone to prison for small debts or even for contempt, if that person is NOT a career criminal.
complete waste of time doing this. surely the cost, between court, gardai, transport, prison etc, ended up being about 10 to 20 times the original licence cost. stupid stupid laws.
this wouldn’t be an issue if fines were taken in increments from social welfare, child benefit, wages etc.
they were quick enough allowing household tax to be taken from wages so why not fines. surely that would be even easier to implement.
the cost savings would be enormous.
can anyone think of a legitimate reason why this can’t be done?
” I wonder what the cost to the state will be when all those fines for Irish Water start rolling in. What a disgrace!2
george grey, the state will spend countless millions in the next year sending out bills that will never be paid, and employing legal companies to follow them with threatening letters.
They are digging a deeper hole for themselves each passing day and I hope the people will ensure that Irish Water is finally buried at the ballot box, come May, 12 months.
Gards could have saved the state a bit of cash and drove her down in one of their vehicles. After all, would they not have to accompany her there? And if not, why wasn’t a court summons issued by post like most other non-payment issues with fines.
Who made the decision and what was the total cost ????.
It would make you sick, s**mbags convicted of serious crimes that have catastrophic impact on their victim’s getting off on probation with a slap on the wrist yet they see fit to jail a woman who hasn’t paid a fcuk n TV licence.
The judicial system in our country is beyond a joke at this stage.
A taxi from Donegal to Dublin I’m sure that cost the state more than the €450 the woman owed in fines. Why not pay it for her instead of paying a taxi to Dublin.
Because using the threat of paying someone’s fine for them if they don’t pay it themselves wouldn’t really work tbf.
Why would the government feel it’s okay to threaten a single mother for a few hundred euro ?
I have my own business and would never threaten somebody I felt had not got the funds to pay …..its spineless.
Well the masses have to be frightened, so RTEs Joe Duffy, Marian Finnucane, Tubridy etc can keep drawing down 300k+ euro salaries.
They really have to address the ridiculous salaries that are paid in our ‘national public-service’ broadcaster. The poor going to jail so that Tubridy, Finnucane, Duffy, D’arcy and the likes can live like kings is just plain immoral. I say reduce the salaries and let them leave if the private sector can afford to pay more (I doubt it).
RTE is after all is the ‘national public-service’. These salaries separate them from the rest of us, so much so that you can visibly see the lot of them strain to imagine what it is like to live in a house on the average salary. They live in D4 bubble.
We won’t even listen to D’arcy because we resent that his salary takes 3000 families to pay. I heard a few minutes of him in passing last week…. and I joke you not, he was going on & on about Cats screaming and was trying his best to make it sound interesting. All I could think was ‘well worth the €500,000k’.
Reduce the salaries, spread the money in to better programming or more people working in RTE.
Great … Get up on a fri morning ,the weekend has landed , there’s a pep in your step … Then you see this headline and think ” here we go again ” and you remember what a shambles our justice system really is !!!
Maybe the Just US system is a better way of putting it.
Law is Not Justice.
Disgusting waist of time and police resources for a miserable few quid unpaid. Smells like another wigged gombeen judge behind this.
Nice to know the authorities have their priorieties right. Jail protestors for saying they can’t afford extra taxes, jail single mothers for not being able to afford tv licence, gamble away the countrys finances and your likely to get promoted to cabinet.
Adrian,
If I could not afford a Tv licence I would stay away from owning a Tv. On the other hand there’s plans now to drop the Tv licence in favour of taxing anything with a on/off switch able to send and receive on the net
Alan, so the poor should just sit in dark rooms then?
Imagine, the children of poor parents are getting ‘free’ entertainment, while RTE receive advertising revenue.
Yep, another example of Labour doing FGs dirty work and lets call it what it is an ‘Internet Tax’
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/the-broadcast-charge-is-a-new-raid-on-incomes-30916057.html
alan scott, would you stay away from eating if you didnt have a cooker??
I’ll I’ll say is:
FREE the HSBC 350, this injustice has to end!
Regardless of whether she is a single mother’, surely a community service order would have been more appropriate. What about “the punishment is supposed to fit the crime “?
I would love to meet with the person who signed off on sending this woman to jail considering all of the dangerous people walking our streets on the whim of a judge.
The Irish judiciary system and economics at its best folks.RTE tax needs to go…..
The guards didn’t “send her to jail” for god sake they were carrying out the orders of a warrant issued by the courts yes the courts a judge being paid a massive salary is the person that “sent her to jail”. Why not give out about the judge that issued the warrant instead of blaming guards for everything
Janet as I stated above how many warrants sit unserved for years ? Some garda had to put in work to organise this
Victorian Ireland alive and well ship the downtrodden off to prison for a mediocre offense and leave the so called gentry aristocrats of mayhem walk around on the golf course live in mansions in America and collect huge pensions at the expense of ordinary decent people. Jesus this country would sicken any fair minded human being.
Honestly, you couldn’t make this up. A fine for rape, community service for industrial scale drug dealing, but don’t pay a TV licence and you get jailed.
RTE should either be funded by the licence fee or by advertising but not both.
It is very important that people pay the tv license. RTE have an ENORMOUS wages bill to pay y’know. I mean think of the money they have to lay out each year just to Ryan Tubridy and Miriam O’Callaghan alone ! Pay up all you freeloaders bet you don’t want to pay for your clean chemical free, fluoride free water either !!! and we even pipe it to your house for ya
I’m 3 years licence free. The BBC and RTÉ should be funded through voluntary subscriptions and/or advertisements.
Rte is already topped up by ad’s.
True, which is an even bigger reason why the licence fee should be scrapped in the Republic. It’s an outdated and ridiculous system.
I agree. I currently pay €160 a year for a service I don’t use, I wanted sky I got sky and pay for sky why can’t I do the same for RTE?
Exactly, it’s legal racketeering in my eyes. I’m not sure about the law South of the border, but I now have a fee schedule for every time a TVL inspector trespasses on my property. I haven’t been harassed by them since.
Let RTE go Pay per View and if people want to watch it
they pay for it, paying the tossers in RTE to look at TV3
cant be right,
Please don’t b fooled this is not a once off. This type of rubbish goes on all th time
Lol!! You couldn’t give me a tv licence even if it was for free.
(The biggest form of brainwashing and propaganda)
This makes me so mad. The Gardai can’t be blamed because they’re acting on instruction from the courts but it’s still so obviously favouring the corrupt and greedy bankers etc whereby the majority of the people who brought this country to its knees, snd nearly brought Europe down, are walking free, still living lavish lifestyles. Drumm, Fitzpatrick, Quinn, ahern…. The list goes on… But no, judge, let’s send a single mother to gaol, (even 3 hrs is too long) to show that we mean business. Leaves some taste in your mouth
She should have paid her own bus fare home! And her TV license!!!
With what?
And learn to spell ya muppet!!!
Again, as with yesterday, another example of shoddy and poor journalism, seriously, do you not need a degree of some description to submit articles? Are you not required to report on the facts? Car crash journalism. For the benefit of readers as opposed to your lazy staff, Gardai DID NOT AND DO NOT arrest or send people to jail for not paying TV licenses. The warrant is issued by the court for non payment of the fines that remained unpaid. That is the law. Please, stop with the car crash journalism, it’s pathetic.
Nowhere in the article does the author claims that they arrested her.
*claim
You need some common sense classes. What was the reason for that unpaid fine at the first place? Jaysus , some people are really thick.
Patlyndo go back to bed your drunk
It’s also worth noting that she didn’t go to jail for not paying a fine. She was sent to jail for contempt/breaking/refusing a court order.
She will have been afforded every possibility to pay, but nonetheless, could/would not.
Suggesting that not having a tv license gets you sent straight to jail is incorrect and misleading.
@Neal – Really? Brish up on the facts please.
@Saul- Same applies to you, if you don’t pay licence (and other various things) then you get fined, if you don’t pay the fine you go to court, if you are ordered to pay the fine an don’t then you are in contempt – a warrant is issued and Gardai HAVE TO act on warrant.It’s crap, it’s unfair, it is wrong – but it is utterly stupid to attack Gardai or the Judiciary if that is the law.
@Live Long. – Indeed a fantastic argument – go and discuss the matter with a crowd worthy of your inteiligence – stones in the end of your garden :-)
Your talking absolute bull …If you don’t or can’t afford TV licence you get fine whether you go to court or not …. If you cannot or do not pay the fine you may find yourself on route to prison …. but if anybody wants to read the fines collection act 2014 this is not now the law States … but sure in Ireland tis made up as needed
Jonathan only a court can issue a committal warrant.
The warrant is automatically issued if the fine is not paid ….
Thousands of them sit years unserved
@Jonathan Bambury:Bull? Afriad it;s you talking bull, check out your facts for a change and provide proof or gtfo,,,,,, You’re not a journalist by the way are you?
16th February 2015
http://www.iprt.ie/contents/2708
Writing on the front page of the Saturday edition of the Irish Examiner, Cormac O’Keeffe reports that there were almost 9,000 committals to prison in 2014 for failure to pay court-ordered fines. Read the Irish Examiner article in full here.http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/9000-jailed-for-not-paying-a-fine-312603.html
There were almost 9,000 committals to prison last year for failure to pay fines — almost five years after laws were enacted making imprisonment for defaulting a “last resort”.
It now accounts for more than half of all committals — placing a considerable burden on the prison system in terms of processing fine defaulters into prison and, within a couple of hours or at most overnight, discharging them again.
The 10% increase in committals — to 8,965 — in 2014 marks a return to rising numbers after cases fell, for the first time, in 2013.
Official figures show that the number of committals have jumped by 34% since the Fines Act 2010 was enacted — under which fine defaulters would only be jailed in the “most exceptional circumstances”.
Technical and legal issues including powers to enable courts to impose installment payments from defaulters’ wages have delayed the implementation.
In 2013 and 2014, committals for fines default made up more than half of committals to prison in Ireland. IPRT commented:
“Imprisoning people for non-payment of fines impacts disproportionately on the less well off. It is a pointless waste of taxpayers’ money, creates an additional burden on a strained prison system, and achieves nothing.
“Two Fines Acts were passed by the Oireachtas in 2010 and 2014, but still the practice continues in 2015. It is simply unacceptable that the Courts Service has been unable to progress the facility to pay fines by instalment over the last four years, despite commitments by successive Ministers for Justice. Real action on ending the practice of imprisonment for fines is long overdue.”
A number of articles covered the increasing numbers of prison committals for failure to pay court-ordered fines – see below.
Read more:
Irish Examiner: ’9,000 jailed for not paying a fine’ (14 Feb 2015)
Irish Examiner – editorial: ‘Jailing fine defaulters is a waste of money’ (14 Feb 2015)
Irish Examiner: ‘Jailings for unpaid fines up in recession’ (14 Feb 2015)
Irish Independent: ‘Recession to blame for rise in number of women jailed’ (16 Feb 2015)
Your post proves my point for me …… how are you confused ?
Not a journo either …
Jonathan read it again, pay particular attention to this part:
“Technical and legal issues including powers to enable courts to impose installment payments from defaulters’ wages have delayed the implementation.”
And this part:”“Two Fines Acts were passed by the Oireachtas in 2010 and 2014, but still the practice continues in 2015. It is simply unacceptable that the Courts Service has been unable to progress the facility to pay fines by instalment over the last four years, despite commitments by successive Ministers for Justice. Real action on ending the practice of imprisonment for fines is long overdue.”
https://www.kildarestreet.com/sendebates/?id=2013-02-27a.649
I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, who is unable to be here owing to other commitments. I thank Senator Kelly for raising this important issue.
The Minister welcomes the opportunity to clarify the current position on the Fines Act 2010. The Act covers a number of issues. Part 2 of the Act provides for the indexation of fines and those provisions were commenced on 4 January 2011. Part 3, which is the focus of the Senator’s question, provides for a reformed system for the payment and recovery of fines. Section 14 of the Act provides that a judge must take the financial circumstances of the person into account when he or she is fixing a fine. This important section, which is intended to ensure that in so far as possible the fine imposed is proportionate to a person’s financial means, was also commenced in January 2011. The remaining sections of the Act have not yet been commenced. As the Senator knows, the programme for Government includes a commitment to provide for the recovery of fines by attachment of earnings. In the course of the preparation of the legislative scheme to provide for attachment of earnings, it became clear to the Minister that the architecture of the fines payment and recovery system, provided for in the 2010 Act, would need to be substantially amended if attachment was to operate efficiently and effectively. To that end, he examined all the aspects of the payment and recovery provisions of the 2010 Act and prepared the scheme of a fines (amendment) Bill which was approved for drafting by the Government last October. The first reform contained in the scheme relates to payment of fines by instalments. Under the 2010 Act, people had to apply to, and convince the court, that their financial situation was such that they should be allowed to pay a fine by instalments. The new Bill will instead provide an automatic right to pay a fine by instalments to everyone on whom a fine is imposed.
The next reform concerns the recovery of assets to pay a fine. Under the 2010 Act, a recovery order appointing a receiver to collect the fine, including by the sale of the assets of the defaulter, was to be imposed in all cases where a person failed to pay a fine. Rather than having receivers appointed in all cases, including those where the person has no assets to recover, the Minister decided that recovery will become one of a number of options available to the court where a person fails to pay a fine in full by the due date. The other options being attachment of earnings, which I mentioned earlier, and community service, which is already provided for in the 2010 Act. The Minister is confident the introduction of attachment of earnings, together with receivership, community service and the reforms mentioned earlier, will all but eliminate the need to send anyone to prison for the non-payment of fines.
The Minister is anxious to have the fines (amendment) Bill published and enacted as soon as possible and I can assure the Senator that, in the meantime, the Courts Service is proceeding to put in place the necessary ICT systems to support the new regime. I thank Senator Kelly for raising this important issue and hope that he can agree that the new Bill, when enacted, will achieve our shared objective of ensuring the fines imposed by the courts are collected to the greatest extent possible and that where, for whatever reason, a person fails to pay a fine, viable alternatives to imprisonment are available to the justice system.”
I hope this clarifies the matter for you.
Your just making a clown out of yourself now …. These bull excuses avoid the true issue and the reason for new legislation. … as simple as I can one more time for the really slow …. locking people up for non payment of petty fines is against basic human rights …. It does not go on to say unless a easy pay system is not in place …
The truth hold up is the lack of a system for community service and the vested interests don’t want to weaken their gravy train
And I tough I was a crook, compared to this broken system I am Ghandi, is that bad. criminals given suspended sentences and a single mother jailed for a f-ecking TV license.
And drug dealers roam free…..
You get jailed for defying the court. Afaik nobody goes to jail if you can’t pay… you go to jail if you *won’t* pay.
Wrong! You’ll go to jail for both. Reason being that you shouldn’t have a TV if you can’t or won’t pay for the license. Time to get rid of it entirely because this story is absolutely ridiculous. She was clearly trying to pay her fine but hadn’t managed to pay it completely.
Nonsense Joe. If you’re unable to pay you license fee you get a fine that’s 400% bigger than the license fee and are expected to perform a “loaves and fishes” miracle to come up with that. When you inevitable fail to do that because it’s physically impossible you go to jail.
Joe Desbonnet is clearly employed as a TV license inspector
Neal you are right of course that the fine is 400% of the fee but it is probably only 50% of what she paid for the TV. The answer is to confiscate her TV and any other items of value in the house up to the cost of the fine rather than spending money on taxis and prison but that would take a change in the law which judging by most posts on here people think is alright to break anyway !!!
Who says Judges suffer from compos mentis?
So Water charge and property tax, death by taxes?
Well done to the taxi driver!! Letterkenny to Dublin via Sligo certainly the longest route possible.
If it was a Garda car one could understand the avoidance of driving through the Six Counties territory but this was a civilian vehicle. The Omagh route would have been multi miles shorter.
Anyway the whole episode is absurd, there must be a better way to deal with non payment of TV licence.
John. Once she was in legal custody they could not bring her the direct route across the border. Because once across the border she is no longer is in the Irish jurisdiction and could not he held legally. So they would have by law to release her.
Mick thanks for the clarification. Just goes to show how our little border can get in the way of simple tasks.
Ryan Tubs is silent on this I’d say.
there won’t be a peep from Joe Duffy or Ray Darcy either….
what next free TV licence and subscription for single mothers.
Pay up like the rest of us.
Ok Ruth, which troll are you, gilhooley? If not, based on previous posts, you are a nasty, heartless person. Whichever it is, please peddle your poison elsewhere.
So you think is ok to send someone to jail for a Poxy tv licence? Surly not?
Why pay for a service that is funded by adverts and many countries do not have a TV license or if they have then one that is dirt cheap… RTE is awful…
HSBC, Ansbacher accounts, cancelled penalty points/fines, fraudulent bankers, pricing cartels, dead babies in mass graves.. law enforcement ZERO..
Water protesters, Shannon protesters, Corrib oil protesters, TV licence avoidance. . Law enforcement FULL Rigors…
Welcome to two tier Ireland…
Better Call Saul….
Very good
I’d represent her for free, this is an outrage even by my standards.
I presume she now has a criminal record which will make finding a job harder and will later effect her child even more. Stupid decision.
Shocking stuff we really have to get our priorities straight.
There should be no tv licence, watching rte is a painful experience, so i no longer watch it. When i did years ago it was usually a td, priest or bishop spouting rubbish and telling lies. The rte produced drama’s was like looking at amateur hour in the local secondary school (and frequently not as good). Privatise it , sack all these over paid “celeb’s” and let the station find its own funding.
There’s loads of TVs in the prisons these days, so who pays for the prisoners TV licences? ?? I’m guessing they can’t afford it as they are not working? I hope it’s not my taxes!!!!
Don. The State is not required to pay the TV licence just like State vehicles are not required to pay car tax. They have to display a disc but if you look at it the cost is 00.00
What sort of country are we living in?
Joke of a country! It needs to be flattened! !
Yeah it’s terrible when you get punished for not paying a court fine.
How can they do this ?? The evil people at aras attracta where suspended with full pay and still walking around…. seriously something wrong here
Utterly ridiculous and a waste of money. The licence is a joke. RTE is a total scourge and a mouth piece for our useless governments propaganda. It sickens me that we are all expected to pay 160 Euro for something a lot of us never use. Should be something you subscribe to it if you want it. Not forced upon you particularly as RTE is funded by advertising also. Do away with the inflated wages of presenters while your at it. All it is, is yet another tax.
Not a week goes by but there are cases in the local papers up here involving the same family names with long lists of past offences and they get off with a fine and a slap on the wrist because it’s in their culture to break the law, so the likes of this makes me sick and angry that this could happen she was an easy target.
dont blame the garda pfffft….as if…fascists
http://images.sodahead.com/profiles/0/0/1/7/8/9/5/5/3/JustDoingTheirJobs-121099176197.jpeg
Funny how the gardai had staff available to bring a woman to jail for non payment of a fine when they didn’t have staff available to escort a hardened criminal to hospital last tuesday week when 2 prison officers were stabbed and he escaped!!! All about getting priorities right!
I blame the guards for allowing this to happen, unfortunately this hypnotic just doing my job approach means stupid decisions are imp
Implemented, whereas any right minded person would see how stupid and costly this was
I don’t consider all my decisions as imp but when I do I’m sure to imp them straight away
Cupid. That is stupid statement. When a court issues a warrant the Gardai have an obligation to act on it by law. They cannot ignore it. The same with the prison staff. They must by law commit the prisoner named in the warrant. As you have read she was released 3 hours after her commital after being processed.
O yeah Mick sorry I forgot the law. Must follow the law, repeat after me, must follow the law. My point is that two guards took a taxi to Dublin at a cost of how much to the taxpayer. Now I’m sure if you had to foot the bill directly yourself I’d hope youd put a bit of thought into the logistics of this. This is our taxpayers money that’s being wasted hand over fist time and time again. I was under the impression we were broke as a nation, well we’re not if you don’t pay your tv licence, in this case no expense is spared. A sick child may have had an ambulance denied due to cutbacks and yet we have cash for this stupidity.
So Cupid. What do you want to do? Scrap all the laws and live in a chaotic and anarchistic state?
The Gardai are “Officers of The Court”. When the Court issues a warrant they are obliged to execute it. Now I am sure if Castlerea Prison had a Female section like Limerick they wouldn’t have had to drive all the way to Dublin, but Castlerea Prison doesn’t and as such they have to execute the warrant where it is stated on said warrant.
They could have used a Garda car to bring her to Dublin but that would have meant taking a much needed vehicle away from patrolling the rural areas of Donegal. And then you would be complaining about the lack of Garda presence in Rural Ireland.
Why would I want to live without any rules at all. A bit of common sense is what’s needed In this country. The one size fits all approach is ridiculous. Costly and inefficient. Even taking a garda car on a journey from Donegal to Dublin and back with two guards is silly. The costs could have paid her licence and brought them all out to dinner.do you want to live in a place with such unbending rigid rules that leave no room for common sense or a place where a little thought goes into the planning of services. Is it any wonder the country’s in such a state.what is it 160 billion in debt? The way we do things is obviously wrong given the figures.please try to think outside the box.
Cupid. You started out by blaming the Gardai. They don’t make the law. They enforce the laws passed by the Dail. So you should aim your ire at them not those who are only doing their job.
Mick there’s enough evidence on camera and on file to show that the guards themselves don’t follow the letter of the law. The system as it’s set up makes a mockery of the rule of law. For example Irish water and their so called customers have been forced to be customers against their will. Have you ever heard of the principal of offer and acceptance? The guards haven’t. It’s easy enough to pick on the poor in society isn’t it. The law is made by the rich to the detriment of the poor. This case of a woman being sent to jail for non payment shows this. Bankers going to jail = 0
Cupid. The Gardai have nothing to do with Irish Water other than enforce the law regarding protection of others from harassment and intimidation. Or would you rather they ignore that particular law? Your hatred of the Gardai seems to be obvious. You have ignored every logical reason as to why the Gardai are in no way to blame for this and keep trying to lay the blame at the door of the Gardai even going so far as to introduce a topic with no relation to the above story in an attempt to villify the Gardai.
Mick. Ain’t going to work. You may as well talk about maths with your dog. Just over his head.
Well if the guards have nothing to do with Irish water why pray tell are they helping to enforce illegal contracts on people. The situation is this, if you allow the police and govt to cut away at democratic rights bit by bit you will wake up one day in a totalitarian state, how about you go to one of these for a year and ask yourself if your happy there, I have every right to question the nonsense decisions made using my taxes, I suspect you think that right should be taken away and everyone should think like you.well my opinions are just as valid as yours.
Cupid. The Gardai are doing no such thing as you well know but don’t let the truth stand in your way.
The Gardai are there to prevent people going about their legal business from being intimidated and harassed, to prevent a breach of the peace and to enforce standing court orders. Now you seem determined to ignore fact for your own personal bias so there is not much more I can do to show you the error of your thinking.
Mick its not in any way legal to force people to enter into contracts against their will, I think you haven’t really looked at the bigger picture here. You seem on the one hand to be all gung ho about the law and how we should all adhere to it, am I correct? But on the other hand you think it’s ok for the guards to ignore people’s requests for assistance in implementing the law simply because the guards themselves don’t agree with it on a personal level and the ones that do are to scared to do the right thing.The guards have let themselves down here when they could have followed the law themselves but instead followed the direction of political leaders.the whole McCabe thing being a good example when a guard tried to expose wrongdoing was quickly told to shut up. Do you think he was wrong or as the chief said was he disgusting.
Cupid how have you been forced to sign a contract by the Gardai do tell? If you feel your rights have been abused by IW you have redress through the courts both Irish and European.
You talk about some Gardai being afraid to do the right thing. Which is? As for the McCabe thing there is a thing called Chain of Command. McCabe chose to ignore it.
Boy howdy did he ignore it and funny these alleged incidents which most have been discounted but they happened under his watch.
No mccabe is no hero or anti hero. He is just a disgruntled man with a grudge. But one wonders who promoted him…
Anyway no contract no consent? Afraid that does not apply for Irish water. If you link back the FAQ interview with the chief last week she explains that.
Gardai enforce the law. Just cos you don’t like it does not mean you are right.
The movement is dead after it was hijacked so you WILL be paying for your water. We all have to.
Charles they don’t enforce the law equally. I can tell that you don’t agree with the whistleblower stuff. You come across as really right wing and a product of a dysfunctional system. You don’t come across as someone with much life experience. Maybe you should try living abroad with different cultures and expand your mind a bit. Just a suggestion.
No Mick, what I’m saying is that the guards choose to ignore the law because they have been told to by their supervisors, in any other context what they are doing would rightly come across as absurd. Imagine if upc knocked on your door and insisted that you become a customer of theirs, you say no thanks but they proceed to install a box anyway. You then find out that the guards are outside your door aiding them in doing so. You ask the guards what are they doing and they ignore you, you know where this is going. Etc etc.it’s just wrong.
Cupid to have an Electricity Account? And if you do have you an electricity meter do you pay a standing charge even if you use no electricity? Like wise are you connected to a mains water supply? Do you want water from that mains supply? Then if you do by law it must pass through a meter to enter your home.
Now as I have state, If you believe that your civil and Human rights are being abused by either Irish Water or the Gardai you have the right to take your case to the Irish courts or to the European Courts and seek justice and recompense in them. Have you brought a case to either and if not why not?
Well said. It’s a joke.
Mick do what you can to convince yourself …… but just answer this how many warrants are left unserved ?
Jonathan believe it or not not that many. If you could see the amount of commitalswe see in Mountjoy on a daily basis you wouldn’t have need to ask that question. And that is just Mountjoy male prison add in the Female prison, Cork, Limerick, Castlerea and Cloverhill prisons.
I’m sorry but your argument is not in the slightest bit rational and full of holes, ok it’s my choice if I want to use electricity, the esb didn’t demand I became a customer of theirs and force themselves on me. Whereas the company called Irish water are doing just this and with the connivance of the gov’t. Do you see the govt on all the time pushing an agenda for us to be customers of any other company.it’s a con job of the highest order.
Its also your choice if you want to use mains water. If you don’t wish to be connected to it then you don’t require a meter.
And I also asked you if you felt that if you believed that your civil and human rights were being infringed on by either or both IW and the Gardai have you taken your case to through Irish Courts and or the European Courts. And if you haven’t why haven’t you?
Mick there is a steady flow of citizens being frog marched to prisons every day despite the fines collection act 2014 and Eu law that says its against citizens rights to do so …. but same as vrt the government will ignore what they don’t want as long as they can fatten the purse out of it .
Only TWO Gardai !!!!!!!. Wow, they’re getting very brave. Think of the danger they placed themselves in. It should have been about six. What are then GRA going to do about this sort of thing?
She wasn’t jailed for not having a tv license, she was jailed for failing to pay a court fine. The default mechanism is a term of imprisonment decided by the judge. The Guards are then legally bound to execute that warrant, they don’t have any say in an order of any court, in fact no one except the judge who issued the conviction does. In other words there is no point going to meet the local superintendent, it’s the judge he should be meeting
Laughing stock of europe
People are sent to prison every day for non payment of fines and released within a few hours after being processed. There is nothing new about this story.
As there are only 2 Female Prisons in the entire country (Dublin and Limerick) the Gardai had to (by law) execute the warrant by lodging this woman in the Dochas Centre in Dublin. If it had been a male from Donegal he would have been lodged in Castlerea Prison for a few hours at much less cost.
Both Female Prisons are currently running well over their capacity. And having only 2 Female Prisons one in Dublin the other in Limerick ignores the fact that there is no Female Prison to cover the West. So all prisoners from this area are sent to which ever Female Prison is closest to the court.
All money owed like this should be taken out of people’s welfare payments or wage. simple.
I think welfare has been cut so hard and extra costs heaped on that there is constant juggling of finances and things get paid one by one best people can. Perhaps time to review?
I note minimum wage disgraceful, but pensions and welfare about quarter of that. Mod beat that in mind as these things are often just not mentioned.
Bills same so….?
How is being a single mother relevant ?
Other people pay because Daddy has legged it
Who would visit this shit bowl after reading this
She didn’t pay her TV licence fee??? She is a sponger just making it dearer for the rest of us who do pay. The problem starts with HER not paying the licence fee and then not paying the fine, everyone else was just doing there job. Welcome to Ireland of NO personal responsibility
John, I’d argue that a lot of the problem starts with RTE and the ridiculous salaries.
It takes over 3000 families to pay JUST Ray D’arcy salary alone!
Perhaps this woman could have afforded a cheaper ‘licence fee’ and avoided jail, if RTE wasn’t throwing money around in dick measuring contest with its competitors.
IF RTE wants to compete commercially then get off our backs, else end the crazy ‘pay what ever it takes’ salaries.
Ivan I agree that RTE stars are overpaid and that the licence fee should be reduced but I think in all the moral outrage expressed on here about the Gardai, the Judge, the courts, the bankers, the politicians, drug dealers etc the central point being missed is that this woman decided to break the law by having a TV without a licence. The law is what is supposed to be upheld by ALL citizens and if we start the ‘Well other people got suspended sentences’ Sh**e every time there is a court case then very soon law and order will break down. We all need to take responsibility for our actions EVEN single mothers in Donegal. IMO of course
John really ….. do you actually believe your post ? Can you look at eire with unblinkered eyes and hand on heart claim the sentiment of your post to be tru
Rediculas taxi would ave cost more than the bloody fine, what’s with the judge if people can’t pay a fine then surely there must be other alternatives to fines or jail something that doesn’t cost the state more money like say community service
Does councillor Gary Doherty not have any idea how the courts operate?
Then again, wouldn’t be unlike SF to divide the people and the Gardaí.
Typical Fg/CnaG response.. shot the messenger and hopefully the message will be lost in the meantime. ..
Councillor Gary Doherty couldn’t give a flying fcuk how the courts operate, he is only interested in how the media operates and how to get people talking about him and Sinn Fein, which both he and they are truly brilliant at.
Success all round
Why should a TV channel get a state payment on top of what they earn from advertising for putting on rubbish that many do not watch but watch other channels who do not get any part of the license fee?
People on sky pay a monthly subscription and for a TV license too… And the thing is many countries do not have a TV license to pay or if they do it is not as crazy as ours… no way is it.
Prisoners can be let out of prison here to have the room to put people in jail who do not pay a TV license???
The licence fee should be abolished. Rte should exist, like any other commercial channel, on its advertising revenue. The UK TV licence funds the BBC which, apart from advertising it’s own programmes, receives no other funding. There is no justification for the TV licence in Ireland, it’s just another tax
She didn’t go to jail for not paying her tv licence she went to jail for not paying a fine. She shouldn’t have a tv if she can’t afford the licence.
It really is time to stop this. RTE is a commercial venture with very little “community” broadcasting. Time to cut them loose or move them to voluntary subscription bases. What are we at jailing anyone work this type of offence, which shouldn’t be an offence. Yet another reason for the establishment to hang its collective heads in pure shame.
Wonder did she also have to pay for childcare very suddenly when she was brought off.
Can I make a suggestion that could solve a lot of issues here? If you get a court fine it is either taken out of your wages or your social directly? Say €5 per week. Then nobody would be brought to prison and fines would get paid.
TV Lisence : long past its useful date. Time to abolish the Irish TV license. Jailing citizens because of a TV license sounds a bit Soviet!
The following have never had a TV licence fee – USA, Canada, China, Estonia, Iran, Luxembourg.
The following have abolished TV licences after toying with different approaches – Australia, Belgium (Flemish), Cyprus, Gibraltar, Hungary, India, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal.
Well she won’t make that mistake again!
Justice at work.
Pay your TV Licence so as to pay the national Broadcaster so to attack and stamp out political dissent and independent thought..
Our Judiciary and our police force serve us poorly in terms of priority in arresting someone for non payment of a TV Licence because of unaffordability.
No one will stand in solidarity with this unfortunate victim.
Using the criminal law to enforce debt collection is reprehensible.
A taxi to mountjoy, Jesus this country has money to burn!! I’m sure she got a taxi home aswell,
Train or bus home
why do tv licenses even exist? nobody even watches TV anymore
Never paid a for a TV licence. And never will.
There is an alternative to jail. Paying the licence. It’s €13 a month for f3ck sake.
Has Ray Butler been arrested yet???
Nobody ever really does any time though do they? From what I heard its a couple of hours in a jail cell, just to put the fear of god in ya so you’d pay the licence next time!
How much did taxi cost from Donegal to Dublin?
How many with sky watch RTE? How many watch RTE but pay for it, many watch other channels therefore how can it be fair to pay RTE for stuff not watched or listened to?
Why are the other channels not entitled some of the license fee, why does RTE get all of it, it is unfair and to jail someone for not paying for something they probably do not watch is crazy?
This is cynical opportunism from Sinn Fein.
If everybody else who chooses to own a television has to pay the licence fee, why shouldn’t she? If there were to effectively be no punishment for individual families enjoying the benefits of RTE television and sport, but choosing not to pay the standard fee to fund it, then the cost of the TV Licence would go up for the rest of us.
If this woman doesn’t want to pay the licence fee she can choose not to have a television in her house (as some families do). Payment of the licence fee isn’t mandatory if you are just living in a house or an apartment, it’s only mandatory if you own a television.
Absolute fu€&@ng disgrace. Why are we made pay for o’brians propaganda channels. Sick of rte and all their garbage programming. And you go to jail for not paying for the privilege of watching cr@p.
And the corrupt politicians and stealing bankers walk free! I don’t understand, do you!
F*K TVL
She was jailed for 3 hours?
Single mother jailed for not paying a fine of a couple hundred euro……. not one single banker or politician jailed for corruption, squandering billions and the bankruptcy of an entire country.
Only in Ireland.
800e in cab fare there and back for an outstanding balance of 280e. Justice system is a joke
You can pay any bill in the post office with a barcode , a bit at a time if you can’t pay it in full , why can we not do the same with the TV licence , that has a barcode , oh no we that can’t afford to pay in full has to buy outdated stamps that’s easily lost , and direct debit is only for people who always has money in their bank account
Some of this countries laws are in the dark ages
They could have easily not arrest her its very harsh goin to prison for not payin a fine there has to be another way round it and when she comes I think she will still have to pay it.
Which is the bigger crime: The waste of more tax payers money on jailing these women or the fact that the likes of Turbidy, Jennifer Maguire, Marty Morrisey and all the other talent less fools that are allowed into our homes via the organ that is RTE.
As long as our society sends this person to jail and lets white collar criminals roam, it can never be seriously described as a civil one.
So much for Article 40.1 of the constitution.
That is correct.
Meanwhile a guy from the revenue gets away with stealing 20grand from motorists. Seems fair.
Man, it is so entertaining watching all you crusties blame bankers for everything that has gone wrong in your pathetic lives.
Ireland is a such a small time place for making money in banking. It literally minuscule. The thicks you all elected guaranteed bondholders (which is great if you’re one of them) but in a true capitalists eyes, like my own, it is such a disgusting practice. You then did the same thing and voted for a party that, if you had of researched a little bit instead of revenge voting, you would have seen the severe austerity lined up down the road.
You clowns only have yourselves to blame.
have your say