THE TEACHING COUNCIL has found that a music teacher who was convicted of more than 700 fraud related charges breached its standards.
The body met earlier today to decide on a discipline hearing against Daniel Daudet, a French national, who was working as a music teacher in Dublin.
He had been convicted in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in 2018 of fraudulently obtaining €175,000 social welfare payments using a false identity.
The Circuit Criminal Court heard at the time that Daudet, who rented a Dublin penthouse apartment with its own private swimming pool, had dual identities enabling him to work and claim social welfare.
He obtained a PPS number under the name Alexander Daude in 2002 and used this to claim €175,000 in unemployment, Back to Education and rent allowances over a 12-year period up to 2015.
Daudet, who had an address at Baltrasna House, Spencer Dock, Dublin was jailed for three-and-a-half years following a trial.
Today, the Education Council Fitness To Teach Inquiry heard from lawyers who advised them on the action to be taken against Daudet.
The online hearing, chaired by Melanie Ní Dhuinn, heard from JP McDowell, a solicitor who appeared on behalf of the director.
He outlined the facts of the case against Daudet and advised the council that the case was a disciplinary matter in which a teacher could be sanctioned if they had committed an indictable offence.
McDowell said that, as Daudet was convicted of a criminal case in the Circuit Criminal Court, the case would fulfil that criteria.
Eileen Barrington, SC, who spoke to the panel as the legal assessor said that the requirements for a disciplinary sanction had been met and that the indictable offence component of the disciplinary measure had been proven.
She added that, in correspondence sent to the council, Daudet had admitted that he had been convicted of an offence in the Circuit Court.
Ní Dhuinn said that Daudet had not attended the hearing and that he had no legal representation present.
She and her colleagues went into private session and later returned to say that the allegations against Daudet were proven.
Ní Dhuinn was sitting with non-teacher member Charlie Dolan and a teacher member Noel Cronin.
There are a number of measures open to the council, including striking Daudet off the register of teachers.
The council will meet again in the coming weeks to determine what sanction is appropriate in the case.
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