Almost €45m in district court fines remain unpaid, figures show

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 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?"

The district court area for Dublin had the highest amount of unpaid fines since 2020, with €13.3 million outstanding.

The next highest amount of unpaid fines was in Naas, Co Kildare, where fines totalling €3.7 million remain unpaid.

Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim, was one of the most compliant district court offices in Ireland with almost €134,000 in district court fines outstanding since 2020.