Van Turnhout: HSE must respond to creche exposé

Senator Jillian Van Turnhout says the Health Service Executive must respond to last night's Prime Time programme, which showed widespread breaches of HSE regulations at child care centres across the country.

"A Breach of Trust", broadcast on RTE last night, focused on three creches in Dublin and Wicklow, showing footage of children being flung onto mattresses, manhandled, shouted and cursed at and strapped into chairs for hours at time.

The programme also obtained a HSE inpsection report which showed that 75 percent of Irish childcare facilities were in breach of regulations last year.

The Association of Childhood Professionals has said last night's programme showed repeat instances of practices that are not acceptable, while Early Childhood Ireland, which represents 3,330 childcare facilities says it's disturbed and saddened by the programme findings.

Senator Jillian Van Turnhout, who is also a children's rights activist, says the poor levels of HSE inspection of facilities and the lack of action taken on reports of child protection concerns are totally unacceptable and the HSE must respond.

"We heard that some areas haven't had an inspection for four years, which is totally unacceptable," she said.

"My concern would also be (that) if a parent was to report a concern with regard to a creche, will there be a response from the HSE?

"I'm not convinced that there will be a response, and that's not acceptable."