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THERE IS A cohort of around 80 men and women begging in Dublin city centre, a new report has revealed.
According to the research, conducted by the Ana Liffey Project and presented to the Joint Policing Committee yesterday, there are many people who are sympathetic to those on the streets but there is a feeling that not enough is being done to fix the root causes of the problem.
Most respondents wanted to differentiate between aggressive, sporadic begging and non-aggressive, organised profiteering.
Of the 270 people surveyed, more than 85% think that the begging problem is getting worse while just 3% thought it had remained the same. The rest of the respondents were unsure.
The study found that of the 80 regular beggars, there are about 10 to 15 at any one time who beg short-term for a specific reason or amount of money. This could be to pay for fares or a fine or to fill a prescription for medicine. Those begging on a regular basis often ask for money to put towards a hostel bed, a B&B, their rent, for drugs or for alcohol.
While it is a criminal offence to aggressively beg for money, it is not illegal to request money from someone on the street.
Some of those surveyed queried if organised begging was in operation in Dublin while other respondents mentioned feeling intimidated.
A recurring theme was the extent of places where people are begging, including all over the city centre and further out – not just on the main streets but laneways, side streets, outside many public buildings including churches, train stations and car park paying machines.
According to the report: “There is a definite perception that begging has increased in Dublin city centre evident from both interviews and survey.
Homelessness and addiction are the main reasons people are begging. Both interviewees and survey respondents are concerned that people have to beg and want something done which tackles the root causes and not just the symptoms.
“Direct action is being taken by people who go out on the streets with friends/neighbours to feed and bring shelter to those on the streets. There is also a view that some begging is organised and is an effective means to make an income. Regardless, begging is viewed as a social issue, it is not a criminal matter and should be addressed accordingly.”
The beggar on the street asking people to help them get food and the organised criminal gangs profiting from on-street harassment need to be tackled, according to the Chair of the Joint Policing Committee at Dublin City Council.
Cllr Daithí De Róiste said there needs to be a “two-strand approach” to dealing with beggars in Dublin.
“Those begging for money or food and those looking to profit from the kindness of strangers are two very different things and need to be treated as such.
Gardaí need to clamp down on organised professional beggars that are being run by east European gangs and are involved in aggressive begging at ATMs or outside pubs.
“Then there is the beggar who is on the street due to social circumstances such as homelessness, alcohol or drug addiction. These are people who need our help and the last thing they need is to be punished for trying to survive. One law doesn’t cover everything. This is not a black and white issue.”
Tony Duffin, CEO of the Ana Liffey, said: “The report found that people are generally sympathetic to people who beg. A visible police presence on the streets is important for a feeling of safety, but begging is not perceived as a problem which can be solved by policing.”
He said that people do not see all begging as equal and that a line is drawn between aggressive and non-aggressive begging. He added that there is also a difference between begging during the daytime and nighttime.
“Importantly, people do empathise with the situations of many people who beg. The situation in Dublin with regards to begging can be improved – broadly, by addressing the underlying causes of begging for individuals who beg; and continuing to police the issue of aggressive begging.”
Hopefully, some day, the remains of Ireland’s “Missing Women” might be stumbled upon too. Their poor families REALLY deserve closure also.
I think that there’s something not quite right about the investigations in to the murder of those women. Time to invite in the FBI. Too many people know each other in this country
Truthy, the FBI don’t have jurisdiction in Ireland. Your not very Truthy are you!
Thus INVITE
The FBI have actually consulted on the cases of some of the missing women.
A heart broken family will get their son back and will be able to give him a proper burial……
At the very least it might be closure for some family… Crazy that it was just down to chance!
I don’t think that it was just down to chance. A new search of Oristown bog has been under way for the last few weeks.
Some clarity here. This Garda investigation team were not looking for a stolen car. They are part of a Garda team tasked with finding the IRA disappeared. Recent intelligence information provided to them led to the bog site in Meath. The body was found close to the car. Someone owns this land or has authority over it. Quite why the shell of a burnt out car supposedly sat here for 11 years without someone reporting it, identifying the vechicle and removing it, I have no idea. Had that happened, it might have led to closure for one family a lot sooner.
Its not that unusual for people to abandon banjaxed cars in bogs. A lot of the bogs around that area are owned by the Headfort estate and so there may not be anyone monitoring it that closely.
Drive around the Dublin Mountains, plenty of burnt out cars just rotting away for years and years in fields and bogs..
The car was stolen not banjaxed
Rildo…yeah, the point is that you don’t look at a shell of a car in a bog and say to yourself “That must be a stolen car, I better call the gardai”. RIP and condolences to the family.
Well it’s that type of bumpkin “sure it’s only an oul car” shit that slows investigation s down
Mick and all your green thumbers there, ye should get out of the city and actually visit a bog, you would learn loads , including how easily a car could rest there for many decades .
Whatever you say, Officer Rildo!
Please hold the jokes, Gerry was a much loved father, son, brother, uncle and friend , his family have been through a hell that no one should ever go through. Rest in Peace Gerry
You shower of C,,,s show some respect.
Must be the first bog body to be found in a car
RIP Gerry. Glad your family have closure. Your poor mam died of a broken heart but your united with her now
It took 11 years to find a stolen car? Ffs
Cutbacks.
Lol
Yeh the cops should do a nationwide excavation of every bog in the land each time a car is reported stolen.
It is quite sick that some posters regard this find as funny. Such finds will always evoke memories of other bodies scattered throughout this island, memories of fellow human beings murdered by ‘republican’ and ‘loyalist’ gangs.
Fellow human beings.. like eh Palestinians?
For what its worth you can tell if a decomposed body or skeleton is male or female by looking at the Jaw. If there’s an indent in the bit of the Jawbone that meets the skull that means it belongs to a female skeleton, if it’s not indented its a male skeleton.
Someone’s been killed what’s with the jokes FFS show some respect
Respect please people. One family has closure tonight, but there are so many more still waiting. This is not the body that they had hoped to find, but lets hope that someone will give them that one bit of information that will give the meGraw family closure. Thoughts with both families tonight.
Likely car was burnt and the car and body were buried in bog . Means the people,who did it had access to an excavator which may have been at site already legitimately. If it had been on the surface it would have been noticed a long time ago as ireland is a small place .
Sure it helped unite ireland anyway.
The car is missing since 2003. He is missing since 2011. I doubt it.
RTE news are reporting this as the remains of Gerard Daly, missing since 2011.
Gardai treating the death as suspicious.
Gardai
Was he ‘known to the Gardai’ I wonder?
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