Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 98:

In page 64, between lines 27 and 28, to insert the following:

86.—(1) It is an offence for a charity to conduct public fundraising without holding a valid permit.

(2) The form and operation of the permit system shall be determined by the consultative panel provided for in section 34 (1).".

This amendment relates to people known as "chuggers". I am not very happy with these people who force elderly people and others to sign up to things without knowing what they are signing up to. I hope the Minister of State will be able to get the permit system in place. The behaviour of these "chuggers" or charity muggers is not acceptable. Earlier this year I was on holidays in a town in the south and I saw them in action. The way elderly people are being pulled and dragged is just not right. Until the money goes out of their accounts they do not realise what they have signed up for. This is not a good way for charities to do business. It is wrong because they target the most vulnerable in society. They target people who are unable to say "no" and who want to support a charity but when they sign up to this non-cash scheme they do not realise what they have signed up to.

I want these people to be regulated and required to have a permit that they can produce on the streets. I wish we could abandon this kind of collection altogether, but that is probably not possible. I want to see these charity muggers controlled and regulated. I want stronger regulation on how they operate. Deputy Lynch and I spoke earlier about charity collectors putting boxes up to people's noses. If somebody puts €5 into a box and it does not go to a charity it is not too bad. However, if a person signs up to something for 12 months it is different. In some cases people do not understand how standing orders work.

I will give an example of a similar issue that has nothing to do with charity and on which I hope legislation will be introduced. I refer to mobile phone companies and I call them robbers. The mobile phone companies are stealing money out of all our pockets. I refer to messages that arrive and if one opens the message one must pay €2.50. The mobile phone companies will claim they are only in a deal with another organisation. However, it is the mobile phone company that is taking the money from people's accounts. It is the same situation here and I want the Minister of State to address it.

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