Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I accept there is a qualitative difference between the ordinary, everyday beggar on the street and one who is organising begging and living off the proceeds of begging by some of the more unfortunate citizens and individuals who may not be citizens of this State. I accept there is a distinction to be drawn between pimping on the misfortune of people at the bottom of the ladder in society and the activity of the common or garden everyday beggar on the street.

The Minister warned us at the time of the taking of the Estimates about where more severe penalties and mandatory sentencing are landing us in terms of the acute problem in our prisons. I would have thought these amendments would only be justifiable if the Minister had hard evidence that there are organised begging rackets in this country. I confess ignorance of the phenomenon. I do not confess ignorance of begging as one only has to walk outside this House of Parliament to witness begging by unfortunate citizens and others. However, I do not know or did not know that there are criminals in this country exploiting people by way of setting them about begging. I am open to persuasion based on information the Minister and his agents may have. Is profiteering of the kind in question achievable from begging? It is scarcely like pimping and prostitution, which undoubtedly constitute a lucrative business in this country. We briefly touched on this matter on the Order of Business. From the way I read the statement of the Minister in that regard and from the way it was presented in the paper of record, I believed he had committed to publishing legislation to criminalise the purchase of sex. I ask him to permit us to read the outcome of the study of the Dignity project. A number of individuals are anxious to see the evidence for proceeding to deal with what is undoubtedly a very serious matter in this State. What evidence has the Minister to suggest we have a serious problem owing to individuals, irrespective of nationality, organising begging? I have some difficulty in believing organising beggars on the streets of Dublin, Ennis or Dundalk is a meritorious enterprise.

It is ironic that Deputy Joe Carey should mention the fact that we have handed over our economic sovereignty to the IMF. The iconic photograph that was published on the front page of the Financial Times will forever be the epitaph of this Government's period in office. I do not know whether the photograph was staged. It depicted a beggar thrusting his begging bowl towards Mr. Chopra of the IMF and his colleagues from the ECB. The photograph brought home to Irish people in a most dramatic way the implications of what has happened and what has contributed to their humiliation over the pass to which we have been brought. The analogy used by Deputy Joe Carey is useful.

I am prepared to assent to the amendments before the House if the Minister can demonstrate his reason for increasing the penalties contained within the original Bill. There is no point in us talking tough in the House if there is not a real problem. The figures shown to me yesterday indicated that the increase in committals between 2008 and 2009 of persons serving three months or less was 63%. These are the Prison Service's figures. Every Deputy will appreciate that this situation cannot continue. I am not saying that the offence in question is a minor one. I draw a distinction between the poor unfortunate citizen who for whatever reason finds himself or herself begging on a street or the appalling sight of children begging and the Minister's claim of people profiteering and exploiting the phenomenon. If the latter is the case, it should be addressed, but we should respond in a proportionate and balanced way that is based on evidence.

See this speech in context