BUSINESSPEOPLE from all over the country are to meet next month to discuss the growing problem of children being exploited by eastern European begging gangs.
Dublin City Business Association (DCBA) chief executive Tom Coffey said eastern European children working in organised begging amounts to child abuse and legislation to combat this needs to be introduced. In March, the law preventing begging was struck down by the High Court.
"It is not that we have a problem with this law being struck down but we do have a problem with aggressive begging and the use of children, " Coffey said. "It's a form of child slavery by using them to beg and policy needs to be brought in immediately. These children should be in school.
Aggressive begging has taken the form of people going into pubs and restaurants asking for money. It's a problem for tourism as well as the children's well-being and it is a problem all over the country at the moment, " he said.
On Tuesday, environmental group An Taisce held a meeting in Temple Bar and one of the issues discussed was child begging and the impact it is having on local businesses.
"It is not legal for adults, who we don't even know for sure are their parents, using children in this way, " Coffey said. "Some of them are infants while others are older and they have been out in ferocious weather conditions, often on their own. I'm sure they did not expect this when they moved from their home countries. The Health Service Executive and the authorities need to act on this immediately, " he said.
Last week, the Cork Business Association spoke publicly of its concerns about a lack of policy on child begging. Representatives are to meet with local gardai in the coming weeks to discuss the problem of children being used in this way, according to a spokeswoman.
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