Woman logged dozens of hours of home tuition for a girl which never took place

A woman has been found guilty of trying to claim money from the Department of Education by logging dozens of hours of home tuition for a girl that never took place.

Catherine Lydon O’Keeffe of Coronea, Baltimore Road in Skibbereen pleaded guilty to the charge after the Department launched an investigation when it had noticed a discrepancy in home tuition hours submitted by the family and by Ms O’Keeffe.

Det Garda James Keane told Clonakilty District Court that Ms O’Keeffe had been appointed as tutor to a child for four months. He said to avail of the grants a payroll form must be completed monthly by the tutor and the parents.

For July 2016 the parents submitted 16 hours of home tuition and Judge Mary Dorgan heard that the parents had cancelled a number of hours because the child was sick.

The parents filled the form and passed it to the tutor. According to Det Garda Keane: “The accused made some false entries into this payroll form.”

He said Ms O’Keeffe added 40 hours to the tally. The Department noticed the discrepancy and began an investigation and then made a report to gardaí as it involved public money.

The 56-year-old mother of two made voluntary admissions about the false entries. The court heard she had 13 previous convictions including three for theft offences and 10 on road traffic offences.

Her barrister, Emmet Boyle JC, said she had “immediately” held her hands up when first contacted by the department. He said there had been a large number of texts between the child’s mother and Ms O’Keeffe and said in July 2016 a number of tuition hours had been cancelled “at the last minute”.

Mr Boyle said the texts indicated that his client would claim for the hours in July and then work them in September and not claim them.

He said while this was an unlawful arrangement, there had been no loss to the state.

Judge Dorgan convicted Ms O’Keeffe and fined her €500 and bound her to the peace for two years.