Court Poor Box payouts top €1 million

Charitable organisations, sporting bodies and community groups across the counties of Westmeath and Longford have benefited to the tune of more than €1 million from the operation of the Court Poor Box, Judge Seamus Hughes has announced.

Announcing a payout of €173,750 this year, Judge Hughes noted that most of the monies accruing to the fund result from garda operations staged at two music festivals in Westmeath.

Most of the contributions to the Poor Box are made by young people who are caught with small amounts illicit drugs, such as cannabis, at the two festivals or at other social occasions.

It has been the practice of Judge Hughes to give young people who come before him, on minor offences, to make a contribution in order to avoid a criminal conviction.

A drugs conviction for possession of an illicit substance could debar a young person from obtaining a travel visa to such places as the United States or Australia.

Before affording defendants that lifeline, Judge Hughes satisfies himself that the person appearing before him has no previous criminal convictions.

Announcing the beneficiaries of the scheme this year, Judge Hughes noted that it was due to the success of the garda operations, mounted at the Life Festival in Belvedere and Body and Soul in Ballinlough that the Court Poor Box fund has been increasing, thus allowing him to allocate more than €1 million since coming to the area.

In the Mullingar Court area, the largest payments have been made to the I Project and Westmeath Support Services, both of which will receive €10,000.

Both TEAM and the Women’s Community Project are to benefit to the tune of €5,000, while the Good2Talk Support Services is scheduled to receive €3,000.

Clonkill Hurling Club is to receive €2,500.

€2,000 payments

Allocations of €2,000 have been made to the Society of St Vincent de Paul in Mullingar, Mullingar Scouts, Mullingar Tidy Towns, Mullingar Union of Parishes, St Joseph’s National School, Milltownpass (Autism Unit), the Order of Camillus, LARCC Cancer Centre, North Westmeath Hospice, Barnardos, St Brigid’s School, Mullingar, Mullingar Community College, Laughs and Giggles Childcare Centre and St Loman’s GAA, Mullingar.

Loughegar Community and Westmeath GAA (Post Primary School Leagues) have received €1,500, while groups to benefit to the tune of €1,000 include the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps, Community Policing Older Person’s Christmas Party, Arthritis Ireland Westmeath Branch, 1428 Active Retirement Club, St Dominic’s Community Council and The Downs National School Parents Association.

Allocations of €1,000 have also been made to the Irish Wheelchair Association, Ballynacargy Young at Heart, St Benedict’s Conference, St Vincent de Paul, Killucan, and Mullingar Charity Variety Group.

Among applicants who have been granted €750 are The Downs Senior Citizens, Rochfortbridge Boxing Club, Galaxy Club, c/o Mullingar Resource Centre, Parish Community Centre, Mullingar, and both Curraghmore and St Colman’s National Schools, Mullingar.

Helium Arts, Olympic Boxing Club, UN Veterans Association, Post 20, Columb Barracks, Mullingar Kyokushinkai Karate Club, Killucan Area Community Alert and Taughmon-Turin Social Services are all to receive €500, making a total of €82,000.