Judge smells a rat in absent schoolgirl case [Limerick Leader]
- Last Updated: Wednesday, 01 April 2009 13:47
Source: Limerick Leader
A JUDGE has rejected suggestions that Limerick City Council is responsible for the poor attendance of a nine-year-old girl at her local primary school on the northside of the city.
In February of this year, Linda Quinn of the National Education Welfare Board told Limerick District Court that legal proceedings against the girl's parents were only initiated as a "last resort". She said the young girl had missed 39 out of 112 school days since the beginning of the current school year and that the school had only received sick certs in relation to six of those days.
In her evidence the mother of the young girl, who can't be named, said the reason her child had missed so many days was due to a series of viral infections she had contracted due to the presence of rats in her local authority home. "She has always been sick a lot," she said, adding that it was hard to sleep at night due to the noise of rats "scurrying around the house."
When the case came before Judge Tom O'Donnell again last Thursday, a representative of the local authority said staff at the housing department had received six complaints about rodents at the house over the past two years and the court was told that each of the complains was dealt with on the same day.
The judge said he believed there had been a "veiled effort" to turn the case into a housing issue when, in fact, it was a prosecution in relation to the non-attendence of the young girl at school. Noting that there had been a "100 per cent improvement" since the last court date, the judge adjourned the matter for review in July.
Separately, he adjourned a similar prosecution which was initiated earlier this year against the mother of a nine-year-old girl from the Ballynanty area who has missed over 300 school days since 2005.
Judge O'Donnell was told the girl, who is attending third class, has missed 39 days in the current academic year ; only four of which were certified. That case will also be reviewed in July.
If convicted, the parents of the children could face up to a month in jail or a maximum fine of €634.
In her evidence the mother of the young girl, who can't be named, said the reason her child had missed so many days was due to a series of viral infections she had contracted due to the presence of rats in her local authority home. "She has always been sick a lot," she said, adding that it was hard to sleep at night due to the noise of rats "scurrying around the house."
When the case came before Judge Tom O'Donnell again last Thursday, a representative of the local authority said staff at the housing department had received six complaints about rodents at the house over the past two years and the court was told that each of the complains was dealt with on the same day.
The judge said he believed there had been a "veiled effort" to turn the case into a housing issue when, in fact, it was a prosecution in relation to the non-attendence of the young girl at school. Noting that there had been a "100 per cent improvement" since the last court date, the judge adjourned the matter for review in July.
Separately, he adjourned a similar prosecution which was initiated earlier this year against the mother of a nine-year-old girl from the Ballynanty area who has missed over 300 school days since 2005.
Judge O'Donnell was told the girl, who is attending third class, has missed 39 days in the current academic year ; only four of which were certified. That case will also be reviewed in July.
If convicted, the parents of the children could face up to a month in jail or a maximum fine of €634.
