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Crime good for charities
Howard Lake | 4 September 2008 | News
Charities in the Irish Republic gained almost €1.5 million last year from people who broke the law, according to the court service.
Under the rules of the Irish court service payments are directed to the ‘poor box’ as a form of punishment offered by judges on a discretionary basis as a condition of final sentences. Last year the big winner from the poor box was St Vincent de Paul who received €128,500, followed by hospices who got €78,000, with a range of garda charities receiving €60,000.
Goal, Guide Dogs for the Blind, the Red Cross and Merchants Quay also received donations.
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Most of the money comes from defendants sentenced for public order charges, threatening or abusive behaviour and failure to comply with garda instructions.
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.