There has been a sharp rise in the number of parents or guardians being summoned to court for repeated absences of their child from school.
The number of summonses issued by Tusla dropped dramatically during the pandemic with home-schooling arrangements and restrictions around attending school with any symptoms of illness, frequently in place.
However, in the first eight months of this year, Tusla has issued 103 sets of proceedings against parents or guardians of children for truancy.
By the end of August, the child and family agency had initiated 66 cases involving primary school children and another 37 involving secondary students.
Nearly 45% of the cases related to just two counties – with 21 cases in Co Limerick and another 25 in Co Galway.