Two Romanian women were sentenced to a month's imprisonment yesterday for using their children to beg at a dangerous traffic junction.
One of them was observed by gardai "dragging" her infant child in between cars and knocking on windows for money. Virginia Pau, a mother of three, and Claudia Radu, a mother of two, with addresses at Sundale Road, Tallaght, were jailed in their absence by Dublin District Court.
Garda Sean McCallion said he received a complaint about women begging at the junction of Templeogue Road and Templeogue Bridge on April 15th last.
Pau was "literally dragging" her child who was less than two years old behind her as she went between the cars on what is a busy three-lane carriageway, the garda said.
"The child was barely able to walk and had difficulty keeping up with her as she went from car to car." As she knocked on the windows, she gestured towards the child. Three motorists gave her money.
Radu had a baby wrapped in her arms as she did likewise.
Garda McCallion directed them to leave the area but when he arrived back 20 minutes later they were still there.