Mother whose two daughters missed 57 per cent of school is fined €300
A WOMAN whose two daughters aged 11 and 9 have missed 57 per cent of days at school left Tallaght Court with a €300 fine.
An Educational Welfare Officer with Tulsa, the Child and Family Agency, told Judge Patricia McNamara that school attendance had been a problem with them for a number of years.
She said that School Attendance Notices for both girls were issued on May 3, 2017. Tulsa made the decision to prosecute on September 18, 2017 and summonses were issued on January 29, 2018.
In the school year 2013-14 the older girl had missed 27 per cent of days and her sister 32 per cent.
In 2014-15, the older girl had missed 26 per cent and her sister 41 per cent.
In 2015-16, the older girl missed 28 per cent and her sister 31 per cent.
In 2016-2017, the older girl missed 37 per cent and her sister 51 per cent.
She said that since the issuing of the summonses for both girls on January 29 last, the girls had missed 57 per cent of school days.
The woman, who is in her 30s and has an address in Tallaght, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with school attendance notices to ensure her two daughters attendance at a national school in West Dublin.
The EWO said she had sent 10 letters to the accused and spoke to her five times on the phone.
She said she had arranged interviews with the accused on five occasions but she only turned up on three occasions.
The EWO said the accused had said she had a problem with housing and she had referred her to a number of agencies but she did nothing about it.
She had also arranged for the family to have a a free Leap card so they could get the bus to school but they had not availed of it.
The mother began to cry in the stand and a court clerk was sent off to get her tissues.
She told Judge McNamara that she was “doing all she can”.
Her Solicitor, John O’Leary, said his client had started an educational course.
Judge McNamara told her: “Your children are missing 57 per cent of their school days. It doesn’t seem to be getting better.”
Judge McNamara fined her €150 on each offence.
