Home Affairs and Security Minister Glenn Bedingfield has said he agrees that certain on-the-spot fines are too low, though he has not specified which penalties he believes should be increased.

Speaking in a statement posted online on his way to a meeting in Ireland, Bedingfield said he had used this journey to read through the correspondence and public statements – including from the MHRA- arguing that fines for certain contraventions are too low.

“I think they are right. I agree with the MHRA and with everyone saying that certain fines are too low. I will be looking into them, because in my opinion, fines should reflect the harm being suffered by residents because of contraventions committed by other people,” he said.

His comments come days after a second round of on-the-spot fines was issued. On Tuesday night, police handed out 20 fines for disturbing the public peace and littering, after residents reported being woken at around 5am by the sound of breaking glass bottles and doorbells being rung.

The fines follow the long-awaited rollout of the on-the-spot fines scheme, which Bedingfield announced last week. The first penalties issued under the new system, totalling roughly €2,000, followed reports of excessive noise and disorder at an apartment block in Swieqi, after footage of the incident went viral on social media.

While Bedingfield indicated he is open to reviewing fine levels, he did not say which specific penalties might be raised, nor did he give any timeline for possible changes.