Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have previously outlined to the Oireachtas that I found the scenes broadcast on the "Prime Time" programme distressing, shocking, and absolutely unacceptable. There is no question about that. The mistreatment of young children is currently, and rightly, the subject of a thorough and comprehensive investigation by the HSE and Garda.

The owners and managers of child care services, in deciding to offer care services to parents, assume important responsibilities. They are entrusted with the care of the youngest members of society. A primary responsibility of pre-school managers, as set out in the child care regulations, is that they must ensure that a sufficient number of suitable and competent adults are working directly with pre-school children at all times. As well as ensuring that staff receive Garda vetting, management must put in place proper human resource procedures for the recruitment of staff, including the seeking and careful scrutiny of references. The onus is on management to ensure that staff new to a service are supervised and monitored on an ongoing basis.

As advised in response to the previous question, I am working on a comprehensive pre-school quality agenda. This will make a difference to the quality of care provided. As already stated, this agenda includes the introduction of national quality standards which will be implemented later this year. These standards contain a section on organisation and management which includes the following criteria: that all staff should commence induction training in respect of all the policies and procedures of the service during their first week of employment; and that each staff member should receive regular supervision and support regarding all areas of their work. People were stunned by the lack of intervention in the footage broadcast on the "Prime Time" programme and inquired about the absence of supervision and support. Another criterion which will come into play in this regard relates to ensuring that the ongoing training needs of all staff will be identified, addressed and provided for on a regular basis.

It is essential that the owners and managers of child care services have in place proper management structures and procedures to ensure their staff are properly managed and supervised in order to make certain that children attending the service receive the highest quality care. A robust inspection regime provides a system of external verification but this reinforces - rather than replaces - the requirement for providers to have quality at the centre of the services they offer. That is what parents expect and it is what young children should receive.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

In line with my pre-school quality agenda, the pre-school inspection service will develop a clear set of national pre-school standards according to which services will be inspected; ensure that those wishing to operate in this sector will be subject to advance registration based upon an assessment of suitability; ensure the inspection system operates on a nationally consistent basis and is robust and proportionate in response to non-compliance; ensure that inspection reports are published online so that they will accessible to parents and the general public; and advise my Department in its review and updating of sanctions for non-compliance. There are many excellent providers who are motivated by the highest standards of care and professionalism. If there are any who are ambivalent on these matters they should engage themselves elsewhere. The pre-school inspection services will robustly tackle those who are in serious breach of the regulations and will have my fullest support in doing so.

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