A mother who sent her two-year-old son to Wales rather than place him in care was jailed for two months yesterday. Nora Lyons (47) failed to present the child before a judge.
Michael Lyons went missing from his home in Tullow, Co Carlow, on July 12th, the day he was supposed to be handed into the care of the South Eastern Health Board.
Lyons was also fined €200 on a public order offence for being drunk in a public place on the same date.It was her third court appearance since the boy disappeared.
She was jailed for two months at Bagenalstown District Court yesterday for failing to comply with a court order to have Michael returned. Judge Donnchadh Ó Buachalla said he had no option but to impose a custodial sentence as Lyons had continuously failed to co-operate with the court.
Sgt Joe Hanley, Tullow Garda Station, said investigations to have Michael returned were at an advanced stage. Sgt Hanley said hopefully they will have recovered him before his mother comes out of prison.
The health board had a court order barring media coverage lifted because it hit "a brick wall" regarding his whereabouts.
Lyons had told a previous court sitting her son was in good care with a Travelling family in Wales. In court yesterday her daughter Bridget made an impassioned plea for her mother's custodial sentence to be lifted.