THE GARDA Síochána has arrested 177 people for “aggressive begging” in the two months since new begging legislation was introduced on February 2nd.
The Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 2011 was enacted by the Government to deal with an increase in incidents of aggressive begging and harassment.
The new law gives gardaí the power to move beggars on from shopfronts and bank machines. Beggars found to harass or intimidate people when asking them for money are also liable to prosecution.
Garda figures show there were 177 arrests under the provisions of the Act between February 2nd and March 27th last. A further seven people have been arrested this year for offences related to causing or procuring a child to beg.
Lord Mayor of Dublin Gerry Breen welcomed the high number of arrests, which he said was making a huge difference to the city centre.
“I would have encountered eight beggars on a short walk through the city now I’m seeing just one. Begging is much more random now and it is not as pervasive or aggressive as it was before the new Act came into force.”
The Leanbh service of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, which has been working with parents and children begging on the streets of Dublin since 1997, said it supported legislation that curbed child begging. However, it said it was concerned it may criminalise young people.
“Our clients are aware of the new law and from the feedback we are getting the Garda are taking a zero tolerance approach,” said Leanbh manager Adriana Fechete. “But legislation alone will not solve the issue of child begging – we would also like to see services provided to help child beggars.”
The Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 2011 was initiated by the Government following a High Court decision which ruled the old law, dating from 1847, was unconstitutional. Under the old law people could be prosecuted for begging. However, the High Court ruled the law was “vague” and represented a disproportionate interference with the Constitution’s provisions on freedom of expression and freedom to communicate.
A separate regulation prohibiting children from begging remained in force. Last year 86 people were arrested for causing or procuring a child to beg.
HOMELESS SHELTER CLOSED MOVE TO LONGER-TERM ACCOMMODATION
THE HOMELESS Agency has closed a 50-bed emergency homeless shelter on Marlborough Street, Dublin, as part of a plan to move more people from hostels into longer-term accommodation.
The Homeless Agency said it had successfully accommodated all long-term residents of Cedar House, at the Salvation Army’s Granby and York House centres. It said short-term residents of Cedar House would be accommodated by other service providers in Dublin.
It said two additional supported temporary accommodation services, provided by Focus Ireland and Peter McVerry Trust, had come on line recently. They are providing 19 fit-for-purpose units, which would be increased to 23 in June.
The agency said the decommissioning of Cedar House was in line with the agreed Pathway to Home strategy, which envisages moving the homeless out of emergency hostels and into long-term supported housing.
It has encountered delays in securing the type of long-term tenancies from landlords which it requires to implement the strategy. It says it achieved 729 tenancies in 2009 and 488 in 2010, almost 1,000 short of the target.
JAMIE SMYTH