Ireland should consider a ban on begging, the head of Dublin Town has said.
It comes as the Swedish government is considering plans for a national begging ban.
The country has announced a nine-month study into the implementation of a begging ban that could become law if it's deemed feasible.
Dublin Town CEO Richard Guiney told reporter Sarah Madden for Newstalk Breakfast aggression is an issue.
"When you're in a situation where someone's behaviour is impacting on the rights of another, I think that does become an arrestable issue," he said.
"I definitely think there's an increase in levels of aggression or persistence in begging and something I've seen myself.
"Before the pandemic, it was more [of] sitting in the corner or sitting at the side of the street.
"It's more the aggressive kind of begging for people coming up and being very specific and asking for you know, a certain amount of money."
Mr Guiney said Gardaí "should be facilitated in making an arrest in those kind of circumstances."
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'It's not enough'
Mr Guiney said the powers around begging need to be strengthened.
"The real issue is that the powers are so weak," he said.
"There was an act in 2011 - the Criminal Justice Public Order Act - [which] doesn't make begging illegal but a Guard can request somebody to move on.
"It's not enough, I think, to actually address the complexity of the issue that's out there.
"I do feel that it's something that does need another review."
'Organised begging'
Wexford Mayor George Lawlor said begging is not just confined to large cities.
We have, for a number of years now, had difficulty in the problems caused by what would appear to be organised begging," he said.
"Groups are ferried in early in the morning, they change their clothes and they're dispatched to various parts of the town in an organised manner and remain there for the day.
"This happens quite frequently".
Cllr Lawlor said it is very difficult to prove that begging is ‘organised’.
"The difficulty for An Garda Síochána is whilst organised begging is absolutely illegal, the difficulty is proving it," he said.
"We do have our regular people who are genuinely in a position where they need to beg to survive and exist - those are not the type of people we need to target with regard to any legislation.
"I think if local authorities could look at perhaps introducing a begging permit and have bylaws to regulate that.
"So rather than banning it, you're regulating it... in such a way that you can effectively defy these organised gangs from coming into your town."
'If someone wants to give money, let them'
These people in Dublin said they feel begging has become more aggressive recently.
"I think in the past years maybe it has gotten a little bit more aggressive," said one man.
I think there's a lot more homeless people out and about right now.
"People are just trying different ways of how to beg and just trying to see what is effective and what is not."
One woman said she doesn't think making it illegal is the answer.
"It's become quite the norm in Dublin [and] yes, it's been aggressive," she said.
"Even sitting eating dinner and someone's coming up begging for money, but I don't think it's something that should be outlawed - obviously not.
"People are still trying to make a way so I would definitely disagree with that."
Another woman said banning begging doesn't feel right.
"I don't think it's right to ban anything - I think if someone wants to give money, let them give it," she said.
"It could be anyone [begging] it could be you, it could be your kids."
Another woman added that introducing a vagrancy law "would be useful."
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