A Teaching Council fitness-to-teach panel has reserved its judgment regarding a former principal convicted of stealing more than €100,000 from the school in which he was working.
A total of 381 instances of theft occurred in the primary school between 2017 and 2019 for which the teacher was tried on indictment, found guilty and subsequently sentenced to six years, with the final 4½ years suspended.
The thefts stemmed from the use of a credit card and cheques, on which the man forged the signature of the chairperson of the board of management.
The decision of the panel to retire to consider its ruling followed the second day of the inquiry on Tuesday, when Cathy Maguire SC, appearing for the teacher, brought to a conclusion the oral evidence. Extensive legal submissions from counsel for both parties were also made.
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The inquiry heard that as part of the terms of the suspension of the last 4½ years of the custodial sentence the teacher received, he was to pay to the school he stole from €20,000 on each of the first three anniversaries of his release from prison.
However, the inquiry heard that on the first anniversary the teacher only paid €10,000. A sum of €5,000 was paid 13 months later.
The principal of the school said that the board of management are empathetic to the teacher’s circumstances and his addiction but that “the bottom line” is that the money outstanding must be repaid.
To that end the board and the teacher recently came to an agreement that the teacher will pay €500 fortnightly to the school, beginning in July, to clear the existing €36,000 that remains owed.
Ms Maguire argued that the panel should ask the teacher to comply with certain undertakings and to accede to being censured.
She also argued that the Teaching Council, being a regulatory body, was covered by the Employment Equality Act 1998 and that the teacher’s addiction fell within the definition of a disability as per the legislation.
Consequently, she said the Teaching Council should take effective and practical measures, including that the teacher would stay away from finances to permit him to participate in employment.
However, counsel for the director of the Teaching Council, Eoghan O’Sullivan BL, asked about the message that merely asking the teacher to comply with undertakings and to accept censure, rather than imposing sanctions, would send to other teachers regarding the severity of the offences.
He also argued that it was important to protect the public confidence in the teaching profession, including its regulation.
The first day of the inquiry was held on May 15th, when it was decided that the inquiry should proceed in public but that the name of the teacher should be anonymised.
Further amendments were made to that order including not reporting the names of any witnesses, except those called in a professional capacity, the name of the sentencing judge, the nature of the disability the teacher has, and the name of the school where he is employed.
However, the panel then also decided, following queries from The Irish Times, that it could be reported that the inquiry related to a former principal from the midlands who was affected by an addiction.
The man is teaching in a primary school in the east of the country and has been five years in remission from his addiction, the inquiry also heard.
Once it has considered its decision, the panel will inform both parties whether it will ask the teacher to accept certain undertakings or if it will impose a more severe sanction.
