A Dublin woman charged with murdering her elderly mother has been sent forward to the Central Criminal Court to decide if she is fit to be tried.
Mary Bergin, who was in her 70s, was found dead at her house at First Avenue, off Seville Place, in the north inner city, at around 11.50 am on April 12th last year.
Her daughter, Moire Bergin, 46, also of First Avenue, Seville Place, was remanded in custody on April 15 after being charged with murder. She was later moved to Central Mental Hospital.
She had been unable to attend several subsequent procedural hearings at Dublin District Court, with the Prison Service furnishing sick notes to Judge Bryan Smyth.
The case resumed today.
Judge Smyth granted an order sending her forward for fitness to be tried proceedings in the Central Criminal Court.
Defence solicitor Matthew de Courcy said that a book of evidence would be served on her later if the court ruled she had the capacity.
A date has yet to be scheduled for her appearance before the present term of the Central Criminal Court.
At her first hearing, Detective Sergeant Brady had told the district court Ms Bergin said in Irish, "sea" in reply to the charge after caution.
Her solicitor had said her client required "urgent psychiatric attention".
The court heard that Ms Bergin had been an inpatient in a psychiatric care facility, and there were concerns about her.
A report was necessary about the issue of her fitness to plead, which the defence will raise, the court had been told at the outset of the proceedings.
The district court has no jurisdiction to consider bail in murder cases, which only the High Court can decide.
Reporting by Tom Tuite
