If you have refused or neglected to pay fines, whether it involved the County Council, An Post, the Gardaí or the Revenue Commissioners, and have received official warnings for not having done so, you could go to prison.
On Monday morning of this week, 19 September, a total of 20 people in Mullingar and local Westmeath villages got a rude awakening and a shock, when they were arrested and told they were going to prison for non-payment of sums owed.
Gardaí in Mullingar, along with members of the Crime Tasking Unit, issued penal warrants to a total of 20 people across the county for various unpaid fines, some in Mullingar, and others in local villages. The Crime Tasking Unit called unannounced on Monday morning to people’s houses with the penal warrants in Mullingar, Multyfarnham, Delvin and Kinnegad.
It is understood that the people on whom they called had not paid outstanding fines to various agencies such as An Post, Westmeath County Council, the Gardaí and the Revenue Commissioners.
The Crime Tasking Unit had warrants for a total of 20 people when they called to the houses and we understand that five of those people paid the fines they owed on the spot, and as a result, avoided going to jail.
The remaining 15 people were taken away on the spot in a multi-cell van which had been brought down from Ronanstown Garda Station especially for the Crime Tasking Unit operation.
It is understood this operation would not have been possible without the use of this 14-cell van. The people who had failed to pay their fines were then taken away to the Midlands Prison, Portlaoise, Wheatfield Prison and Dochas Centre. It is believed a total of 12 men and three women were arrested and brought to prison.
Topic also understands that these people would have received several warnings in relation to their non-payment of the fines.
A Garda spokesperson said, “This Crime Tasking Unit operation was a ‘test case’ and it proved very successful and there will be more operations of a similar nature carried out in the future if people have not paid outstanding fines.
“So this is a warning for those people, who still have outstanding fines, that they now have the opportunity to come forward and pay their fines at Mullingar Garda Station or any local Garda station,” said the spokesperson.
