An Independent Councillor for Westport, County Mayo has said that “professional beggars”, some of whom are in receipt of thousands of euros in state benefits per month, are engaged in begging in parts of Mayo.
As reported by Mayo News, a meeting of the Westport-Belmullet Municipal District heard calls for by-laws to be passed to ban begging lest towns and villages be ‘taken over’ by beggars this summer.
Cllr. Christy Hylland said that he was personally aware that individuals regularly involved in begging in Westport are in receipt of €3,000 per month in state benefits and are housed in Castlebar.
Hyland said he has “ investigated” the matter and found that the same individuals are being “supported by the Department of Social Welfare” and are “on housing assistance.”
He said that begging was “happening extensively” and is “organised”.
“People are dropped off early in the morning and they target a town for a number of hours every day.” he said adding that he had “done research” into the matter.
He continued, [T]hey went into a business recently in Westport where they cashed in the coins that they gathered during the day. They got €180 back in notes.”
Hyland said,“I want us to work together and see what we can do so that people are not annoyed or obstructed in Westport or other towns by these people begging. There is no need for them to be begging. We have one of the best social welfare systems in Europe.”
The Cllr. said that he believes this behaviour “is going to take off big time in Westport.”
“There are two or three there at the moment and if we don’t deal with it and nip it in the bud there will be ten of them on the streets in July and August.” he said adding that this has happened in Galway and other big towns.
Speaking on Midwest Radio Hyland said that beggars had been observed returning to their car after a day of begging and sitting on the seat with their feet on the ground to replace their worn out looking shoes with better ones now that their day of begging was over.
He urged members of the public to “be careful” saying that some of the people engaged in begging were “con artists”.
“This is a racket,” he said, adding that he had approached one of the beggars and had a conversation with him only for the man to “suddenly” claim he “couldn’t speak English” when Hyland “broached further” questions.
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I have begun to see foreign beggars at the entrances to the supermarkets in the town I live in. Undoubtedly they have to commute to reach these locations as it is outside the city. Some aggressively whistle and holler for money. If this is the future Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil envisaged for us it is extremely disheartening.
Mostly Roma gypsies. The more skilled ones are in the purse lifting and shop lifting professions🥳
The well meaning idiots get that warm feeling of superiority when they give them money not realising they are the mugs. They earn far more money than you ever will and are laughing at you. And where are the guards and the dept of social welfare. Don’t you have to be available to work anymore in this failed state.
Never give money to beggars.
Never ever !
What he didn’t say is these are roma parasites! Like the Ukrainians Like the Africans Like the Muslims etcetera!
you mean russian scrum funding gangs to flood EU with these people and divide us ,do your grandkids and Ireland s future a favour and vote in a anti immigrant TD next time , simple solution to a complicated problem
theyre everywherein Cork. I ring the Gardai every time I see one of them and tell them too.
We’ve done enough for the world. These people arent welcome in my country.
lot of these politicians needed to be jailed for destroying Irish way of life ,sooner general election is the better.Free E. Burke
Paddy pays again, good old reliable Paddy, the Romanians are the worst. Pulling up in mercs and setting up shop every day. Remember when they used to inject their children with heroin as well. All ok with the globalist Paddy kakistocracy.
Rima gypsies. Ordinary Romanians are generally educated goid workers
Yes roma gypsies.
The first thing tourists see in Athlone is Roma beggars “playing” accordions, why are they allowed to stay in our country?
Should only be for 3 minths afaik
Shhh, don’t say a word; you’ll end up behind bars for hate speech. Give them a few bob; it’s safer, and you’ll look good 👍
joking me barely get week to week and I don’t drink or smoke,I be voting the most anti immigration TD in South tipp next time round,if you get 60 r more it a game changer for Irish people ,let’s get back in control of our kids and grandkids future.happy easter
roddy and cleo’s foreign friends ??? pay up paddy or else we will call ya raaaaaacist
Check funding to Pavee and other NGO
The good old saying “charity begins at home” needs to be enacted in Ireland ….
And let their charity begin in their own homes. In Romania. Quite substantial homes they are in a lot of cases.
Not one red cent would I give these professional grifters. As well as the begging, they’re shoplifting wholesale.
Also to add to what everyone else here is saying, why the hell are these people getting 3000 a month on state benefits?????? My sister is on disability and she can’t work and she only gets 900 a month, you couldn’t make this up.
hello Alice I decided I am voting for most anti immigrant TD if we get inuff of them in in next election,sort this mess out caused by ff/fg/g.
The Roma in Mullingar come down every morning on the bus from Dublin.
They travel back in the evening.
They have free travel.
I see lots of ladies giving them food, coffee, money not so much.
Will someone tell me why they give money to these people?
Feels good man. My friend lived beside a house full of them in country area outside Drogheda. Never any trouble from them, as they had begging pitches in West Belfast, which they worked every day. Naturally they had an older S Class Merc, for dependability.
Back in Shakespeare’s day the Bailiff could whip beggars to outside the village limits.
This is happening all over the country, and without doubt they are typically Roma. In Dublin, you are literally tripping over these beggars. Probably one of the most shocking aspects of it is the number of elderly women, from this Roma community, who are forced to sit for up 8 hours a day, in all weathers, begging mainly outside supermarkets. While mainly young Roma men seem to act as area managers, keeping an eye on those doing the begging. It is a well organised operation that the Gardai simply ignore. And it’s about Irish people copped on and stopped giving these people money. They don’t need it and anyone giving them money is a mug.
I would like to have a breakdown of the €3,000 per month. If true it must mainly consist of the HAP (housing assistant payment) which is to support those on lower incomes with rent. To get HAP you must be a private tenant and the landlord must complete a form and give his PPS no. Given the housing shortage and the availability of good working tenants, why would any landlord let to a roma family?
“why would any landlord let to a roma family?”
Money. The landlord by me in Cork isn’t local. From near Waterford so unaffected himself.
It is also happening in Sligo town and it’s been going on for many years