Sir, – I feel it is a mistake for Minister Shatter to abolish the poor box (Home News, February 5th).
This is a most humane and traditional power given to the District Courts. It makes a real difference to charities working in the local community. Of course using it as a voucher system to annul speeding offences is wrong and probably the limited funds should not be for export.
We get a variety of payments county by county, as the Jack & Jill Foundation is a very local charity with children in every parish. For example, in Co Wexford offenders paid more than €16,000 in 2012 and the cohort of 16 children supported by Jack & Jill in that county were the single biggest beneficiary, receiving €3,415 during the year. Wexford Women’s Refuge, Wexford Lifeboat and Wexford St Vincent de Paul Society also benefited.
The money is well received and very well utilised by all of us. In our case, every €16 raised through the poor box funds one hour of home nursing care for desperately ill children.
If the proceeds are simply gifted to the maw of the State, charitable works will be the loser and the impact of this money will be a faint ripple in the lake of bureaucracy. – Yours, etc,
JONATHAN IRWIN, CEO,
Jack & Jill Children’s
Foundation,
Johnstown Manor,
Johnstown, Co Kildare.