A new report has called for an urgent root and branch review of how the Irish legal system deals with people in debt.
The report by the Free Legal Advice Centre says the legal system in relation to debt enforcement has remained largely unchanged for more than 60 years.
It said new solutions are needed to help the increasing numbers of people who find themselves unable to cope with their debts.
The report's author - Paul Joyce of the Free Legal Advice Centre - said there was little to be gained in allowing someone of limited means to be pursued through the courts by a variety of creditors.
The call for reform was supported by the Irish Bankers' Federation, who said a workable alternative to imprisonment was needed.
