179 school days missed

The mother of a teenage girl who missed 179 school days in two years has been fined €200 by Judge John O’Neill at Dublin District Court.

The woman pleaded guilty to breaking the Education (Welfare) Act for not complying with an official warning requiring her to ensure her child went to school.

Dorothy Ware, for the Child and Family Agency (CFA), asked Judge O’Neill to finalise the case because the girl will turn 16 shortly.

Education and welfare officer Jennifer Redmond told Judge O’Neill the woman had been sent a school attendance notice in May 2013. Since then, her child’s school had been open on 332 days but the girl was absent for 179 days.

Since last September, the girl had missed 70 days and was referred to mental health services. They discharged the teen after finding there were no mental health concerns.

The woman had also failed to turn up the court on four occasions, resulting in bench warrants being issued. The judge heard yesterday was the first time she had turned up of her own volition.

She had failed to engage the education and welfare officer over the past two years or to provide any medical certificates. The child’s mother was referred to family therapy but did not engage, the court heard. The woman told the CFA that the reason was because there had been a tragic death in the family in 2011.

Mark O’Sullivan, defending, said the girl had been traumatised by the death and his client brought her daughter to a psychiatrist but she would not “connect”.

He said his client, who is unemployed, is using methadone and has had problems in her life but now understands the importance of her child getting an education.

The judge said his hands were tied and that by adjourning the case until September it would be only of academic interest as the girl will be then aged 16, the legal school-leaving age.

He imposed a €200 fine, to be paid within four months. Otherwise the woman would be jailed for one week.