Fr Peter McVerry's Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice has emerged as the principal recipient of money from the court poor-box, The Irish Times has learned.
In 2004, €102,868 was handed over by the Dublin District Court to his centre, which works with homeless boys, representing 10 per cent of the income from court poor-boxes around the State. Dublin accounted for more than half the €928,331 raised by poor-boxes in 2004.
The Society of St Vincent de Paul was given €64,071, Alone received €16,691 and the Merchants Quay Project received €14,910. Various other charities received lesser amounts.
The use of the court poor-box varied widely, according to a Law Reform Commission report which was publicised last night.
The largest amount was raised by Clonakilty District Court, which contributed €87,415, almost 10 per cent of the total sum raised by poor-boxes in all the courts in the State.
Waterford raised just €800, while Limerick District Court raised €47,683. Ballina District Court did not use the poor-box at all, but Swords raised €37,433.
A few circuit courts have also used the poor-box, with €11,659 being raised in 2004, almost half of it by Letterkenny Circuit Court. Most circuit courts do not use it, and the report recommends that its use be restricted to the District Court.
These discrepancies have given rise to concern about anomalies, with some district judges using the poor-box routinely as an apparent alternative to imposing a fine, while others use it rarely, if at all. This concern led to the Law Reform Commission consultation paper, published last year. Its final report contains a draft bill, which was introduced by chief executive of the Courts Service P.J. Fitzpatrick, last night.
"The report proposes retention of the most beneficial features of the existing poor-box arrangements, while placing those arrangements on a statutory basis, integrating them with a reformed probation of offenders regime," he said.
The practice of courts directing that money be paid into a court poor-box in lieu of or in conjunction with another penalty predated the foundation of the State, Mr Fitzpatrick added. It appeared to stem from the judge's jurisdiction at common law to exercise discretion in imposing a penalty or imposing another penalty. The average payment in 2004 was €800.
There were good reasons why a payment to the poor-box might be recommended by the judge, he said. These included where the offence was minor, where the accused had never been before the courts or where a conviction might be inappropriate or adversely affect job prospects.