Children who missed 54 per cent of days in schools are ‘effectively homeless’
A MOTHER whose two daughters have missed 54 per cent of days at school is “effectively homeless”, Tallaght District Court has heard.
The woman’s counsel, Stephen Montgomery Bl, told Judge Paula Murphy that his client is in emergency accommodation.
The woman, who is in her 30s and has an address in Tallaght, is accused of failing to comply with school attendance notices to ensure her two daughters attendance at a national school in Tallaght.
A Solicitor for the Child and Family Agency, who are bringing the prosecution, told Judge Murphy that they were anxious to make progress with the case.
She said the non-attendance rate for the two children was 54 per cent. It had previously been 82 per cent.
Mr Montgomery said his client was pleading guilty. He said the woman had been suffering an illness and that some of the days that had been counted as non-attendances was when the girls were late for school.
He added: “She is effectively homeless. At present she is living in emergency accommodation with her children.”
Judge Murphy adjourned the case for two weeks for a presentence report.
