Professional beggars being driven by Mercedes to and from Tullamore claims councillor

Beggers are being brought to Tullamore to beg in the town before being picked up again in the evening.

At the March meeting of Tullamore Municipal District, Councillor Tony McCormack said ''Unfortunately it has been brought to my attention that what is happening here is, you have what we call professional beggars that are operating in different parts of the town.

They are being driven in and dropped off, especially at weekends in different parts of the town and are operating outside different supermarkets, and then in the evening they are being picked up in a Mercedes and being brought back to Dublin or wherever they are from,'' said Cllr McCormack.

''I don't think it's fair because it's poor vulnerable people, older people normally who end up falling for this trick and giving them money. I wonder is there anything we can do as a council to be able to eradicate this and move them on,'' he asked.

Cllr McCormack asked the question under the 'Any Other Business' section of the meeting which generally takes place at the end of each assembly. As is the practice with these items the matter wasn't discussed any further.