A judge has said a teenage mother from Romania, who was “abandoned” in Ireland and later arrested for bringing her baby begging in Dublin city-centre, should be reunited with her family.
The 17-year-old had been arrested on the city’s south side on May 4th last and has pleaded guilty at the Dublin Children’s Court to a charge under section 247 of the Children Act for having the two-month-old in her custody for the purpose of begging.
Judge Ann Ryan heard that since then the HSE has become involved and a welfare report was furnished to the court.
The defence said the teen’s mother has recently come over from Romania and would stay with her for a few more weeks.
Her partner is in prison and “no use to her” and she is living with people who have no income, said the judge.
“It is not appropriate that she should be in this country. She should be back with her parents who are responsible for her. I think the HSE should be looking at reunification,” said the judge.
She has been ordered to obey a bail condition imposed to “refrain her from begging with her child” and which also banned her from the Dublin 2 area.