Charities across Ireland benefited to a sum of over one million Euro last year from the Courts Poor Box.
Figures being published this week show payments from the Court Poor Box have been made to hundreds of charities across every county.
Payments made range from small, one-off amounts, to sums of over €50,000.
Organisations dealing with addiction, poverty, homelessness, women's safety, medical services, hospice care and mental health have all benefitted from the dispersal of the fund.
The fund exists as a means of helping largely first time offenders avoid a conviction for more minor, non-violent crimes.
Examples of those charities which received payments are:
- Coolmine Therapeutic Community €52,120;
- Cork Simon €47,150;
- D15 Hospice Services €15,065;
- The Irish Red Cross €29,350;
- Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice €13,005;
- Merchant's Quay Project €35,140;
- Oasis Womens Project €25,000;
- Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital €13,350;
- Pieta House €45,655;
- St Vincent de Paul €27,070;
- Red Door Project €22,100.
The total in payments to charities from the Poor Box is €1,052,853 in 2023.
2023 Poor Box Donations by Courts Service Office
2023 Poor Box Donations by Charity
Background and quotes on the operation of the Court Poor Box:
A spokesman for the Courts Service described the Poor Box as being “predominantly used by the District Courts who deal with criminal offences of a less serious nature. The individual amounts can vary substantially depending on ability to pay, other penalties imposed, and the nature of the offences”.
“The option of paying into the Court Poor Box usually arises where the offence is minor in nature and would not attract a custodial sentence. Public order offences can be the most common offences for which the Poor Box option is given to defendants. These include breaches of the peace, intoxication, or disorderly conduct in a public place, threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour in a public place, or failing to comply with a direction from An Garda Síochána. It is at other times used for first time, minor drug offences, and offences against property.
There are many reasons and instances why the Court Poor Box is used by judges of offences on the more minor side of the scale. The accused may never previously have been before the courts, the accused may have pleaded guilty, a conviction might be inappropriate, or might adversely affect employment, career or working abroad prospects, and / or the offence may be of a minor or less serious nature.
When combined with the Probation of Offenders Act it provides an option where the person is held accountable in public court, some financial penalty is considered merited, but a conviction and fine are not. It can sometimes be a more meaningful punishment than the maximum fine where the value of a maximum fine may have been eroded by inflation”.
Charities regularly benefit from even more payments from court cases being concluded, because as an alternative to using the Poor Box, judges regularly direct defendants to pay monies directly to a charity and produce a receipt for same.
Historic background to the Poor Box:
The practice of courts directing that money be paid into a Court Poor Xox, instead of or in conjunction with another penalty, is a practice which predates the foundation of the State.
The practice appears to go back in history and stem from judges’ jurisdiction at common law to exercise discretion in imposing a penalty, if any, and/or imposing other conditions i.e., donations to the Poor Box or to a particular charity.
Notes regarding Poor Box:
Organisations wishing to become a beneficiary from the Court Poor Box may apply in writing to their local District Court Office.
Any applications received will be brought to the attention of the presiding judge.
Monies paid out of the Court poor box are at the discretion of the Judge and the Courts Service has no function in the allocation of payments.
The Courts Service issues payments from the Poor Box as directed by each presiding judge.