Former school principal from the Midlands in court after tweaking the roll numbers to keep teacher

A former principal of Annaduff National School in Leitrim, Vincent Tighe, 66, of Meadow Court, Curryline, Newtownforbes, Co Longford, pleaded guilty to inflating the school’s enrolment figures by three pupils to retain a teaching post for the 2019/20 year at Carrick-on-Shannon District Court on September 16.

An anonymous tip-off to the Department of Education in June 2020 led to an audit at Annaduff NS and a Board of Management investigation. The case was later referred to Gardaí. The school’s Board of Management confirmed the annual census on October 9, 2019 certified 201 pupils—the threshold to keep a teacher—but the true number was 198. Garda Benson gave evidence of arrest and charge on DPP directions.

Defence solicitor Gerry McGovern said two children were expected in September then enrolled elsewhere and one pupil had transferred out. While recovering from surgery and working part-time, Mr Tighe placed two children on the junior infants roll and marked a departed pupil present on dates in September/October 2019. Gardaí said he had sought parental permission for the two children placed on the roll.

In a voluntary interview at Carrick-on-Shannon Garda Station on 18 December 2023, Mr Vincent made a signed statement: “I understand the allegation and I accept that I completed the acts that caused the census for the academic year 2019/2020 to be incorrect. I sincerely apologise… I was under severe pressure, having two of the largest primary school classes in County Leitrim at the time… I accept responsibility.”

He added that the situation “was compounded by me not heeding medical advice and attending work when I should not.” Separately, the State outlined to the court that during September 2019 he was recovering from surgery and working part-time.

The court heard the Board of Management has since repaid the Department the cost of the teacher’s salary, so there was no loss to the Exchequer. Mr Tighe retired in June 2024 and fully co-operated with the investigation.

Accepting jurisdiction, Judge Éiteáin Cunningham said the case raised serious governance issues: “There are regulations in place and, with the best will in the world, this court can’t do anything about those regulations. As school principal, your client should have known to adhere to them. I accept he acted from goodwill in protecting children and staff, but there was an element of deception to the Department, and that is something this court cannot condone.”

Noting Mr Tighe’s co-operation and the repayment, Judge Cunningham ordered a Probation and Welfare Report “to furnish the court with tools with regard to sentencing.” She set bail on his own bond of €200, with no special conditions, and listed the matter for finalisation on January 21.

Defence solicitor McGovern said Mr Tighe is a married father of two who “gave his life and soul” to the school over 36 years and had never been in trouble: “There was no personal gain in any of this — he was trying to keep the school alive. At the time there were letters from parents indicating enrolments that didn’t materialise. He’d been on medical leave for 12 weeks and the school was managing two of the largest classes in the county. It’s sad when you look at the whole structure of it. The post remained needed. There is no financial loss to anybody.”

Judge Cunningham said she would bear those factors in mind and was open to recommendations from Probation and Welfare before sentencing. The case was adjourned to January 21 for the report and sentence.