‘Slush fund’ fears over court poor box plan

THE €1 million generated by the court poor box system could be used as “slush fund” by the Government to buy votes if new proposals are implemented, Labour warned yesterday.

The Law Reform Commission is proposing that the poor box system, which is used mainly by District Court judges in minor offences, should be replaced by a statutory system called the Court Charity Fund.

Under the proposals, the management of the fund will be handed over to the Department of Community, Rural, and Gaeltacht Affairs because it has responsibility for charities, the commission is recommending.

But there is a danger that when the system is introduced it may not be what the Law Reform Commission is recommending, said Labour Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs spokesman Brian O'Shea.

The commission is recommending that the Court Charity Fund should be ring-fenced and given out only to charities who help alleviate poverty and victims of crime.

But Mr O'Shea said the Government could quite easily change the regulations once the system is up and running just like they did with the very lucrative dormant accounts.

"What is to stop the Government bringing in legislation in future that will give it a final say over the disbursement of the Court Charity Fund and use it as a "slush fund" for buying votes," said Mr O'Shea.

But the commission insisted last night that the fund could not be used as a slush fund and would be ring-fenced for specific charities that help the poor and victims of violence.

"There would be a list of specified charities that could only benefit from the new fund like the plastic bag levy, which is specifically ring-fenced for environmental protection projects," said commission research director Raymond Byrne.

The Department of Rural, Community and Gaeltacht Affairs, which is the proposed manager of the new fund, had not responded to Labour's slush fund allegation at the time of going to press.

Under the poor box scheme, a first-time, minor offender is given a chance to avoid conviction by donating money to charity.

The commission proposes that there would be a maximum €6,350 payable in the District Court and €38,100 in the Circuit Court.