neglect charges Intoxicated mother 'abandoned her four-month-old in hotel room'

A young mother accused of child neglect left her baby alone in a west Dublin hotel room in wet and dirty clothes and with a bottle propped up by a towel, a court has heard.

Gardaí were called and found the four-month-old in his buggy "abandoned" in the room while the mother (22) was allegedly out in an "intoxicated state".

The case was adjourned after Blanchardstown District Court heard the woman has not yet decided how she intends to plead.

She is charged with wilfully neglecting, ill treating or abandoning her baby in an incident at the Clayton Hotel, Liffey Valley, under the Children Act.

Garda Sergeant Maria Callaghan told Judge David McHugh the Director of Public Prosecutions was directing that the case could be dealt with summarily at district court level, subject to the judge considering the issue of jurisdiction.

Outlining the prosecution's case, she said gardaí were dispatched to the hotel following a call that a baby had been "abandoned" in a room at 10.55pm on April 6, 2018.

Gardaí arrived and were taken to the room, where they found a baby asleep in a buggy with no adult in the room.

They were informed by security that when they found the child, beside him was a bottle of milk propped up with a towel.

The blanket covering the baby was wet and dirty.

He was not strapped into the buggy and when lifted, it was found the child's baby-gro was also wet and dirty.

The baby was then taken into care by authorities.

Sgt Callaghan said the accused had earlier been stopped by gardaí a short distance from the hotel and they saw that she was in an intoxicated state.

On viewing CCTV footage, she was seen leaving the hotel at 10.35pm and returned at 11.14pm, the court heard.

Judge McHugh accepted jurisdiction to deal with the case in the district court instead of sending it for trial to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

The woman's solicitor, Fiona Brennan, said the accused was not entering a plea yet and she had "certain concerns" that could only be addressed through Tusla.

The court heard the baby had been in foster care since the incident.

Judge McHugh adjourned the case to a date in February next year.

The woman was remanded on continuing bail.

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