Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)

Like Senator Harte I too find myself very largely in agreement with our good friend and colleague opposite, Senator Mooney. I concur with his views on the Romas in our capital city. Sadly, the Roma gypsies are spread throughout the country. A group of Roma gypsies came to Killarney; they are like an organised cell, with emigrant remittances going the wrong way. The money was going through Western Union to Romania. The sad thing is that genuine beggars are getting a bad name, the people who need to collect a few bob to survive, and eat and clothe themselves.

We must discriminate when giving charity. I did not know about the bare footed Roma on Grafton Street, to whom Senator Mooney referred, having more runners than could be found in a shop. The begging laws were amended and improved and the Garda have been able to discover these groups but we must be on our watch. The pervasive presence of beggars in the capital city is not good for our image.