Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 31 July 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs

Issues Regarding Childcare Facilities: Discussion

Photo of Lorraine Clifford LeeLorraine Clifford Lee (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am not going to discuss what my colleagues have already outlined in the context of our horror and disgust at what we all saw on the RTÉ programme. It is a miracle we are not discussing a fatality at one of these facilities, particularly when one considers the fire risks, the rough handling of children - particularly around the head and neck area - and the bad practice of laying babies on their tummies and even forcing them down. It was absolutely horrific. I am the mother of two young children and I have used childcare facilities. What I saw was stomach churning.

I have some questions for our guests. They referred to governance issues as raising red flags and elaborated by stating that governance includes the suitability of the person in charge of the facility. The owner of the facilities in question was successfully prosecuted in 2003 for leaving a three year old boy behind-----

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.