Does Dublin have more beggars than other European Cities ?

Simon2015

There seems to be an awful lot of beggars in Dublin compared with other European Cities.

It's almost impossible to walk through Dublin city centre without been approached by a beggar.

retalivity

No.

SB_Part2

No I don't think so. I saw one nearly on every corner when I was in Budapest.

Tabnabs

Paris has its fair share too, the sightseeing trip on the Seine shows a whole different side to the city, especially at night.

whiskeyman

Like any major cities, they tend to have their areas.
Certain parts of Rome and Paris are infested with beggers, and sometimes very aggressive ones at that.
Thankfully Dublin hasn't gone so bad in my opinion.

Simon2015

Given that we have a social welfare system there should be no need for beggars.

Arcade_Tryer

Simon2015 wrote: »

Given that we have a social welfare system there should be no need for beggars.

You should try surviving on €188 per week in Dublin. Even more difficult with mental health and/or addiction problems.

Simon2015

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

You should try surviving on €188 per week in Dublin. Even more difficult with mental health and/or addiction problems.

I'm been on the dole my self yet I didn't go around begging.

odyssey06

There seems to be two sorts of beggars, troubled souls with the afore-noted mental health and/or addiction issues, who have fallen through the cracks, and others who seem to be organised, who seem to approach it as their day's work.

When it comes to the first sort, we probably have the same amount as any other European city.
Social welfare rates have nothing to do with it. You don't just get €188 a week, don't forget about medical card, rent supplement, children's benefit... But to get any of that, you need to have your act together enough to apply for those benefits. Anyone who is that together isn't homeless on the streets and begging. They are in emergency accomodation at the worst.
Does anyone seriously think that any significant number of the beggars we see are in receipt of social welfare and are free from mental health and/or addiction issues?
The troubled souls we see on the streets aren't together enough to access those benefits. They need specific, professional support, not more money in their pocket, and it's not for the lack of money being spent on the problem.

€20,000 euro per homeless person is being spent by the government, before donations to charities are considered.
http://www.beat102103.com/news/homelessness-charities-not-good-value-money-suggests-report/

But there are clearly organised gangs behind some of the begging. And thanks to our legal system's ability to create loopholes, it's not as easy as it should be for Gardai to do something about it.

‘The majority of begging in Dublin city centre is organised’:
http://www.thejournal.ie/organised-begging-dublin-city-centre-1615869-Aug2014/

Beggars in capital's centre 'working organised shifts':
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/beggars-in-capitals-centre-working-organised-shifts-30504150.html

Butterbeans

Simon2015 wrote: »

There seems to be an awful lot of beggars in Dublin compared with other European Cities.

It seems like you've answered your own question in your opening line.
Do you often travel to other European Cities?

Simon2015

Butterbeans wrote: »

It seems like you've answered your own question in your opening line.
Do you often travel to other European Cities?

Yeah I don't see half as many beggars in london.

athtrasna

Simon2015 wrote: »

Yeah I don't see half as many beggars in london.

And how many armed police officers do you see in Dublin? Begging is illegal in both cities but enforcement attempts tend to be taken more seriously when the person telling you to move on has a gun!

odyssey06

athtrasna wrote: »

And how many armed police officers do you see in Dublin? Begging is illegal in both cities but enforcement attempts tend to be taken more seriously when the person telling you to move on has a gun!

Eh aren't most of London's police unarmed? Do they call their armed colleagues as backup when moving on beggars?
The BBC tells me that "Of the 130,000 officers in England and Wales, about 6,000 are trained to use guns."
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35308467

I don't think the UK has this kind of loophole to content with:
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/high-court-ruling-helps-put-beggars-back-on-our-streets-29210883.html

"There was a sharp drop in begging from April 2011 after gardai began implementing the Criminal Justice (Public Order) 2011 Act, which prohibited begging near ATMs and shops. But a High Court ruling that gardai have to establish that the person they stop begging does not have a licence under the Street and House to House Collection Act of 1962 – the law that governs charitable collections – has led to a number of begging convictions being struck out in the courts in recent weeks."

Also, it occurs to me that maybe the OP is also including charity chuggers in the beggars category?

Hanley

I don't know how this is even a question. Most major european cities are overrun with them. Especially around tourist attractions.

BabyE

France says hello

Gaspode

Definitely not. I've counted them so I know.

KingBrian2

Other European cities have refugees that would add to the number of beggars. Ireland has close knit communities while our European neighbors have densely populated cities.

Arcade_Tryer

Simon2015 wrote: »

I'm been on the dole my self yet I didn't go around begging.

Yet you denigrate those on the dole trying to better themselves by begging. They're not just sitting around looking for a job but actively earning extra income by showing an entrepreneurial spirit.

wakka12

Doubt it. Anway the beggars here are much nicer too, Ive never been accosted by a beggar in Dublin, never had some grubby bracelet slapped on my hand and then demanded money here, or had a gypsy stick a rose in my shirt pocket and demand money off me. Worst cities for beggars and aggressive salesman Ive been to have been Barcelona at the very top of the list, Paris, Rome and then budapest.

Simon2015

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

Yet you denigrate those on the dole trying to better themselves by begging. They're not just sitting around looking for a job but actively earning extra income by showing an entrepreneurial spirit.

Begging is actually illegal.

They are not bettering themselves by going around harassing people for money.

alastair

Simon2015 wrote: »

Begging is actually illegal.

No it's not. Begging in an intimidating or threatening manner is (Near ATM's or open shop doorways), but even that is difficult to prosecute, as the Guards have to establish that no license has been issued.

The flying mouse

Madrid has its fair share to.

AnneFrank

I walk past a roma gyppo every morning by Heuston station begging, he's fat as a pig (how did that happen ?) and has an iphone,
leaves rubbish all around him and asks everyone for money every day which i thought was illegal.
Why do i have to avoid this every day of my working life, when clearly he has enough money to feed and fend for himself.
When i see an irish begger who doesn't ask and just sits there, i have no problem giving then, just don't harrass me

Arthur.beaker

Didn't spot many in Romania for some reason.

enda1

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

You should try surviving on €188 per week in Dublin. Even more difficult with mental health and/or addiction problems.

How about not living in Dublin then! Live like a king on that in any midlands town.

ted1

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

You should try surviving on €188 per week in Dublin. Even more difficult with mental health and/or addiction problems.

By the time I pay for my mortgage, taxes , prsi, etc I wouldn't have much more than 188 and that's to spread between my wife and three kids.

Anyone trying to survive on 188 will have rent allowance or similar

Dr Crayfish

People are in denial about this for some reason. I work near grafton st. They are every 20m or so pretty on all the busy streets around here. I've lived in many cities and never seen anything like this. Dublin is a small city relatively speaking yet the homeless thing is really blatantly in your face. It's a terrible thing that people are on the streets but the begging thing can only be down to the Garda having no policies on stopping it.

KingBrian2

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

People are in denial about this for some reason. I work near grafton st. They are every 20m or so pretty on all the busy streets around here. I've lived in many cities and never seen anything like this. Dublin is a small city relatively speaking yet the homeless thing is really blatantly in your face. It's a terrible thing that people are on the streets but the begging thing can only be down to the Garda having no policies on stopping it.

Dublin is a pretty busy city at times. You come across many different type of people. Some are beggars others are buskers or addicts.

Chinasea

AnneFrank wrote: »

I walk past a roma gyppo every morning by Heuston station begging, he's fat as a pig (how did that happen ?) and has an iphone,
leaves rubbish all around him and asks everyone for money every day which i thought was illegal.
Why do i have to avoid this every day of my working life, when clearly he has enough money to feed and fend for himself.
When i see an irish begger who doesn't ask and just sits there, i have no problem giving then, just don't harrass me

Wow, so much persecution, prejudice and hate. Hopefully you don't kick the poor 'hated' man when you pass by him. Ironic to say the least looking at your Avatar or user name. Your post is upsetting (to me anyway).

ted1

ted1 wrote: »

Anyone trying to survive on 188 will have rent allowance or similar

This is a myth. It's become close to impossible to qualify for rent allowance as rents have risen above the limits. Many, many people are paying rent and bills from their 188 a week, it's not disposable income or pocket money.