Court 'poor box' pays out €1.5m to charities in 2025

The Criminal Justice (Community Sanctions) Bill 2014 will replace the poor box with a formal 'reparation fund', as suggested by the Law Reform Commission 20 years ago. File picture

Charities working with sick children, the homeless, and people with mental health difficulties benefited from €1.54m distributed in local court 'poor box' funds last year.

The court poor box system is a sanction generally applied by judges for more minor offences and where an accused has pleaded guilty and has never been before the courts before.

The courts using the system most are Dublin City District Court at the Court of Criminal Justice, where €225,350 was paid in, followed by Cork City District Court with €101,685.

The figures show geographical variations, with Portlaoise recording high use, at €218,000 — twice as much as Cork City.

Almost €97,270 was paid into the poor box in Waterford District Court, compared to €32,250 in Limerick and €42,000 in Galway.

The poor box is not a formal legal sanction and has been subject to both independent and official reviews, with proposed legislation currently making its way through the Oireachtas.

The Criminal Justice (Community Sanctions) Bill 2014 will replace the poor box with a formal 'reparation fund', as suggested by the Law Reform Commission 20 years ago.

The figures show Little Blue Heroes Foundation received €76,000 and that local chapters of the St Vincent de Paul received a total of almost €100,000.

Little Blue Heroes Foundation is voluntarily led by Garda members and retired members and is aimed at children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions.

Pieta House, which works to prevent suicide and self-harm, received a total of €63,500 while the homeless and drug charity Merchants Quay Project got €28,470.

Total payments to charities from the poor box came to €1.538m in 2025, down slightly from €1.67m in 2024 but up from €1m in 2023.

In Cork City, the drug charity Coolmine received €24,390, St Vincent de Paul got €6,250, and Jigsaw mental health charity received €2,500.

In the CCJ District Court, the Garda Benevolent Trust Fund received €19,750. This fund assists members and their families suffering serious illness or financial hardship or members who have children with additional needs, as well as funds for other supports.

The Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin City received €13,540 while Women’s Aid got €7,400.

A spokesman for the Courts Service said: “The option of paying into the court poor box usually arises where the offence is minor in nature and would not attract a custodial sentence. 

"Public order offences can be the most common offences for which the poor box option is given to defendants. It is at other times used for first-time, minor drug possession offences, and offences against property.” 

He added: “There are many reasons and instances why the court poor box is used by judges for offences on the more minor side of the scale. 

"The accused may never previously have been before the courts, the accused may have pleaded guilty, a conviction might be inappropriate, or might adversely affect employment, career or working abroad.”

Last November figures were published showing that nearly 460 drivers avoided convictions and penalty points on their licences by making a donation to the poor box since 2022.

• Cormac O'Keefe is Security Correspondent.