GEORGETTA STAN and Manri Dimitru have been living, and begging, in Dublin for three months. With their long patterned skirts and flowery headscarves tied around their weather beaten faces, they are typical Romanian gypsies.

They left their home near the Black Sea port of Constanta, they, say, because they couldn't afford to live there.

"You know Ceausescu. After he died Iliescu came and everything became so dear," says Georgetta in Romanian, standing in Lower Abbey Street breast feeding her four month-old boy. She goes on to complain about the price of vegetables in Romania.

The women say they travelled by lorry across Europe and came to Ireland because they "heard it was beautiful". They say their husbands are still in Romania.

They do not speak English, but carry small handwritten cards saying they are from Romania and have children to look after. They show the cards to passers by.

Maria, who is pregnant, says she has five children aged between seven and 15.

Her card says she has three.

Georgetta says she has four children.

They say they do not receive any money from the State and are staying in a hotel. Asked the name of the hotel, they say they don't know it and point southwards.

"It's better here," says Maria.