Poor Box

Around €1.7 million was paid to hundreds of charities from the court poor box last year, an increase of nearly 60 per cent on the previous year. Under a long-standing practice which has survived repeated government commitments to phase it out, some defendants in criminal trials can avoid a conv

Just under €1.1 million was paid to charities across Ireland from the court poor box last year, according to new figures. Organisations dealing with addiction, poverty, homelessness, women's safety, medical services, hospice care and mental health benefitted from a total of €1,052,853 paid

The use of the court poor box increased last year despite long-standing government promises to phase it out, new figures reveal. The Courts Service said the poor box was used last year in 27 cases involving 27 motorists, up from 13 cases involving nine motorists in 2020, The Irish Times reports.

The court poor box in Kerry, which accounted for a quarter of all poor box payments in Ireland last year, has finally been scrapped. Offenders in Kerry are now being asked to make donations directly to charities instead of going through the poor box, the Irish Examiner reports.