The Garda is seeking the extradition from the UK of Ms Nteta Appiakorang (38), a mother of two who went missing at the weekend to avoid a deportation flight from Dublin to South Africa and is now allegedly in London.
The Garda is making arrangements with social services for Ms Appiakorang's children's immediate future and confirmed there would be no move to deport the children without their mother, Supt Pat O'Sullivan said.
However, gardaí from the National Immigration Bureau in Dublin are working with police in London to locate her and extradite her back to Ireland. From here she and her family will be deported to South Africa "eventually", Supt O'Sullivan expected.
Ms Cara Wallace-Costello, who is looking after Ms Appiakorang's two children, received an anonymous call from a London number to say that the South African woman was safe, but there has been no direct contact from her. Yesterday Ms Appiakorang's two daughters Senita (11) and Yesunia (8) returned to school at Moyderwell, Tralee. They have attended the school for over two years. Ms Wallace was meeting social services yesterday in an attempt to keep the children with her for as long as possible. Ms Appiakorang may not return to Ireland, she said.
A support group had explored the possibility of setting up a trust fund for the children's education and also of bringing them back to Ireland for boarding school but they were told the girls would not be allowed re-enter Ireland once deported.
Ms Appiakorang had left Ms Wallace-Costello's house in Castlemaine early on Saturday, the day she and her family were due to board a deportation flight.
Ms Appiakorang's note said she wasn't going back alive to South Africa. She had taken alcohol and medication and there were fears for her safety. Supt O'Sullivan said there had been an extensive search operation, and it appeared she had made arrangements to leave Ireland.