Just over €130,000 was paid to charities last year through 'poor box' donations in courts in the Shannonside region. Nationally over €1.6m was paid out which was a 59 per cent increase on 2023. A spokesman for the Courts Service described the Poor Box as being "predominantly used by the District Courts who deal with criminal offences of a less serious nature. The individual amounts can vary substantially depending on ability to pay, other penalties imposed, and the nature of the offences". Mullingar Court Office which includes Athlone saw the highest amount paid out in the region with just over €86,000.
Westmeath Support Service against Domestic Abuse received the highest amount from the office, with €13,000 being paid out. Longford Court Office also saw a substantial amount of donations last year with close to €35,000. The Society of St Vincent De Paul Longford was one of the biggest beneficiaries, receiving close to €2,000. Roscommon and Carrick on Shannon Court Offices saw low levels of donations last year with €6,600 and €4,680 being donated respectively. The Little Blue Heroes Foundation received €1,000 from donations in Roscommon whilst Carrick Community CCTV LTD received over €1,000 from Carrick on Shannon Court Office donations.
