Nearly €1.6m was paid into court poor boxes around the country last year.

Solicitor Jason O’Sullivan told Newstalk that the system is still quite widely used around the country.

“It is really a practice that is at the judge’s discursion,” he said.

“If they feel that the accused is unlikely to re-offend, they can implement the practice whereby they can ask them to make a generous donation to a local charity of the judges picking and, in return, they won’t impose a custodial sentence of a Statutory fine.”