Staff not vetted at half of inspected creches

Staff working in almost half of the creches and playschools inspected by the HSE in the past 12 months had not been vetted by gardaí.

In addition, more than a quarter failed to safeguard the health and welfare of children, while a fifth had inadequate sanitary facilities, according to reports published last month.

One in 10 creches did not comply with fire safety measures and 12% failed to meet requirements for the provision of facilities for rest and play.

An analysis by the Irish Examiner of almost 400 inspection reports published by the HSE since last month covering six counties — Galway, Clare, Limerick, Mayo, Tipperary, and Donegal — also highlights different attitudes among HSE inspectors to what constitutes non-compliance with the legislation.

Inspectors in the mid-west regularly judged creches with singular safety issues as compliant, while the same problems were classified as non-compliant in other counties.

Reports on 393 creches which provide pre-school services to more than 9,500 children have been published on the Pobal website since July. Demand for the publication of such reports by the HSE intensified following RTÉ’s Prime Time Investigates in May which highlighted the mistreatment of children at three creches in Dublin and Wicklow.

The analysis of creche reports by the Irish Examiner shows 35% of all creches were found fully compliant with all 27 regulations checked by HSE inspectors, while a further 48% failed four or fewer regulations.

However, 17% of creches were in breach of five or more regulations. One child minder in Castlebar, Co Mayo, was found non-compliant with 19 out of 27 regulations.

The structure of one creche, which catered for 30 children in Co Limerick, was not deemed to be sound or stable in Jun 2012 due to cracks on the internal and external walls. However, it was subsequently repaired to satisfactory standards.

The analysis r=eveals 45% of creches were deemed non-compliant due to the failure to have staff vetted by gardaí. The failure rate was as high as 93% in creches in Mayo compared to just 8% in Donegal.

Inspectors also found 28% of creches did not meet adequate safety measures. Many cases related to children’s access to unlocked doors and gates, window cords, hot water, and heated surfaces.

Other findings included:

* 30% non-compliant with record keeping;

* 12% had inadequate premises and facilities;

* 7% did not meet standards regarding activities and interactions for the development of the child;

* 8% did not meet heating requirements;

* 11% were in breach of ventilation regulations;

* 6% had unsuitable food policy and facilities.

* 4% were unable to provide proof of insurance.