Number of child beggars rises 30%

THE number of children begging in Dublin rose 30% in a year, bucking the trend for the previous three years, according to a report.

The statistics, released yesterday by the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC), show that during last year and this year, 1,083 children were spotted begging, compared with 756 for 2005/2006.

This is the first recorded increase since 2004.