Mother pleads not guilty to failing to comply with school attendance notice
By Brendan Grehan
A WOMAN’s 13-year-old daughter is not going to school because she is being bullied by local children about her weight, Tallaght District Court has heard.
Judge Patricia McNamara heard that the woman had been homeless at one stage and had stayed in a homeless hostel with her daughter.
The case is being prosecuted by the Child and Family Agency, Tusla.
The woman, who is in her 30s, and has an address in Tallaght, had pleaded not guilty to failing to comply with a school attendance notice dated February 12, 2018 to ensure her daughter’s attendance at a national school in Tallaght.
The woman’s counsel, Stephen Montgomery BL, told Judge McNamara that his client was pleading guilty.
A Educational Welfare Officer told the court that she opened the case in January, 2018. She said she had been dealing with the family since October 2017.
The child had stopped attending school. The school attendance notice was issued on February 12 and the summons was issued on April 24, both 2018.
The EWO said that from the issuing of the summons to the first day in court the girl was absent 44 days out of 63 days, a rate of 70 per cent.
She said she had sent nine letters, made eight phone calls and nine home visits but received no response from the defendant. The EWO said the school had supplied the girl with a school jumper.
Mr Montgomery said his client’s daughter was being bullied out of school by local children over her weight.
He said the woman had been homeless for a time and she had lived with her daughter in a hostel. They later moved into a council house but there was a problem with anti-social behaviour on the estate.
Judge McNamara adjourned the case to date in December for a presentence report.
