Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 17 Jun 2003

Vol. 568 No. 5

Written Answers. - Child Mendicants.

John Dennehy

Ceist:

353 Mr. Dennehy asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on the increasing incidence of children begging on the streets of the main cities and the consequent danger that this poses to their health and personal safety; and if his Department will liaise with the Departments of Education and Science and Justice, Equality and Law Reform, to ensure that the necessary measures are put in place to alleviate the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16594/03]

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Mr. B. Lenihan)

As Minister of State with responsibility for children, child begging and the possible consequent danger that this poses to the health and personal safety of children who beg is an issue of concern to me. A range of measures are being taken in the health, justice and education sectors to address this issue.

I understand from the health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority that the incidence of children begging on the streets of the main cities is most prevalent in the Dublin area with infrequent incidents occurring in other cities and towns. Reported cases in cities and towns outside Dublin are dealt with by the social work departments of the health boards in liaison with the Garda, if appropriate.

The Leanbh annual report in 2001 indicated that there were approximately 40 families from which children were reported begging, with 1,322 sightings of children begging, in the Dublin Area. The Eastern Regional Health Authority has indicated that it has not been made aware of any increase on this level. I understand from my colleague the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform that the Garda authorities consider that the problem of child begging has decreased since the commencement of the Leanbh initiative.

I understand from the Eastern Regional Health Authority that most children who beg on the streets in Dublin are from the Traveller and Roma communities. The area health boards provide a range of services including those for Traveller children and their families, for asylum seeking and refugee families and for unaccompanied minor asylum seekers.

Social workers from the area health boards respond as appropriate to referrals received from the Leanbh service. Leanbh was set up specifically by the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children to work with children begging and their families. The Leanbh service liaises with the health boards, the Garda, schools and training centres. The Leanbh service comprises an outreach and street service and operates on a 24 hour, seven day a week basis.

Leanbh outreach workers monitor the presence of begging children and link these children with appropriate statutory services. The Leanbh service also carries out a broad-based assessment of the child's needs through contact with the child, the parent and the child and parent together. Following this assessment, an individual programme plan, based on the child's strengths, is prepared, and these needs are met through therapeutic intervention in the child's home/place of residence. The project is part-funded by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to the order of €40,000 in the three year period 2001-03.

There are also other legislative and policy developments which will contribute to preventing or addressing the child begging. I am informed by my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, that the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 is now fully commenced. The Act provides a comprehensive framework promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. Under the Act, the National Education Welfare Board has been established as the single national body with responsibility for school attendance. The board recently advertised for the recruitment of additional staff. These staff will work in close co-operation with schools, teachers, parents and community/voluntary bodies with a view to encouraging regular school attendance and developing strategies to reduce absenteeism and early school leaving.

The Children Act 2001, introduced by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, updates the law in relation to child begging. The provisions of the Act will make it an offence for a child to be allowed or induced by an adult to beg in any street or public place or to make house to house calls for the purpose of begging or receiving alms. The Act puts the onus on the parents or guardians of the child to prove that they did not send the child out to beg. Under the Act, the penalty for allowing a child to beg has been increased from a maximum of €31.74 to a maximum of €317.43 for a first offence and €634.87 for any subsequent offence.