This article is from page 6 of the 2014-01-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
THERE have been calls to remove beggars from the streets of Ennis after concern was raised that women are being “trafficked” into the town to beg.
Cllr Paul O’Shea (Ind) has requested the council “work with appropriate authorities such as social welfare inspectors to ascertain if those who continue to beg on the streets of Ennis are in receipt of social welfare payments”.
He called on the council to endeavour to make Ennis a begging free zone n 2014 so as to encourage tourism in the town.
At the council’s January meeting, town clerk Leonard Cleary said the issue of begging was recently discussed at the Ennis Joint Policing Committee on December 16.
He stated, “Ennis Town Council will work with the Gardaí and other agencies in relation to this matter. In addition the JPC discussed the importance of balancing support for local charities with national charity collections visiting Ennis. Again, the council will liaise with the relevant agencies.”
Cllr O’Shea told the meeting he had seen the same people begging on the streets of Clonmel and Ennis.
Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said women are “rotated” in and out of the Ennis area. He said some of the women are often forced into “other activities”. Cllr Flynn told the meeting there were reports locally that the women are dropped into Ennis by a man driving a Mercedes car.
“There is abuse of women and children in this,” he added. Cllr Mary Howard (FG) said gardaí believe women are being “trafficked” into Ireland for the purposes of begging. She also criticised the activities of some charity collectors or “chuggers”.
Cllr Howard said some of those collecting money around Dunnes Stores and the Post Office can be “intimidating and abusive”.