Tusla’s second quarterly integrated performance and activity report this year shows that 133 summonses were issued in respect of 96 children between September 2016 and June of this year. 

Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar has said that he sees no reason to link the payment of child-benefit for under-16s to attendance at schools.

A record number of court summonses and formal warnings were issued to parents last year over their children missing school — even though the conviction rate dropped.

There are renewed calls for the Government to tackle a multi-million euro child benefit scam, by replacing the payment with a school attendance allowance.