Social justice campaigner, Fr Peter McVerry has branded as ''daft''
and ''unnecessary'' new anti-begging laws introduced by the Government.
Fr McVerry, who has worked with homeless people for over 30 years,
said it would instead make more sense to address the social conditions
in our society that create the need to beg.
''The waiting lists for treatment programmes for drug addicts can
take up to 12 months, some homeless people won't go into night shelters
for good reasons and therefore don't have an address to get welfare and
people can often wait several weeks for their welfare payments to go
through.
''These people then often have no option but to beg and I think it's
better for society that they beg than rob. To be honest I find these
laws a bit daft and unnecessary,'' he said.
Under the legislation, which was first announced last May by then
Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern, a person who begs in an
''aggressive, intimidating or threatening manner'' will be guilty of an
offence.
The new powers will enable An Garda Síochána to direct anyone begging
near ATMs, night safes or shop entrances to leave the area.
''I don't condone aggressive or professional begging and I've no
problem with that type of begging being criminalised. I wouldn't give
money to children or to an adult carrying a baby in her arms and in fact
I'd encourage people not to give money in these cases. It's not fair to
the child and it enables this behaviour to continue,'' Fr McVerry
added.
''However, the reality exists is our society is wealthy enough to
accommodate all homeless people so the question is what's happening in
our society that allows homelessness to happen? That's an uncomfortable
question but it's one we need to be faced with or this kind of thing
will just go on and on. It's time we looked at ourselves in the
mirror.''