Two investigations are under way and four staff have been suspended following allegations about abuse of toddlers at a Dublin childcare service.
The investigations, by gardaí and Tusla, concern reported physical, verbal and emotional abuse of up to six toddlers, aged between two and three years, by two staff. Both of those staff have been suspended from work and have also had their Garda-vetting clearance suspended.
Two other staff, including one who reported the alleged abuse to management and Tusla, have been suspended from work for allegedly failing to report promptly.
The childcare setting in south Dublin is a community childcare centre with charitable status. It provides baby, toddler and preschool care and remains open while gardaí and Tusla continue their investigations.
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The Irish Times has been told a member of staff first brought their concerns to management in mid-March about two other staff.
Their concerns related to alleged slapping of children’s heads; hitting children’s legs; forcing children roughly into high-chairs, force-feeding a child with sensory issues until they vomited; repeatedly calling one child “fatty”; wiping children’s noses forcefully to the point they fell backwards and hurt their heads; getting children to call other children “arsehole”; speaking in disparaging terms about parents in front of their children; and being generally “cold” with the children.
When the staff member felt no action was taken by management they made an anonymous report to Tusla in late March, The Irish Times understands. Despite management being contacted by Tusla, the allegedly abusive workers remained in post for a further number of weeks.
The whistleblower, through a third party, contacted one of the toddler’s parents and gardaí.
The Irish Times understands it was an approach by this toddler’s parents to management and gardaí that led to the suspension of the two allegedly abusive childcare workers.
It is also understood parents of other allegedly affected toddlers were not informed until late April. At least three of the toddlers have been removed by parents from the centre. One mother had to give up work.
Since then an independent investigation, commissioned by creche management, has been completed but not shared with parents. Nor was any parent interviewed for this investigation.
In a letter to parents, dated August 29th, the centre manager says this investigation was in fact a “human resources inquiry” and so interviewing parents was “not within the remit of the investigator”.
The letter says: “We are writing to you to provide you with an important update regarding the ongoing investigations related to the recent allegations at our childcare service.”
It continues: “As you may recall I had previously committed to sharing aspects of the investigation report where your child was mentioned. However, after a recent communication with the Gardaí on this topic, we have been advised that sharing any portion of the report at this time, even on a piecemeal basis, could potentially interfere with their investigation and we have been requested to refrain from doing so at this time.”
It adds: “Interviews with both parents and families have and will remain the remit of the Gardaí and Tusla”.
Parents are understood to be deeply unhappy with management’s handling of the alleged abuse of their children, particularly the apparent delay in informing them of the allegations, the fact the alleged abusers remained working with their children for more than a week after management was made aware of the allegations, and the lack of support for the affected toddlers and parents, both in the aftermath and with finding alternative childcare.
Gardaí told The Irish Times: “Gardaí are conducting an investigation relating to a business operating in south Dublin. Gardaí are liaising with other State agencies as part of this investigation. Due to the sensitive nature of this investigation, this office is not in a position to provide further details.”
Tusla said it “cannot comment on individual cases. When an individual person or family enters a relationship with a public service, they are entitled to expect that information generated in that relationship is treated in confidence. This is critically important in the subject matters in which Tusla is involved.”
A spokesman for the childcare centre said: “I am not in a position at the moment to make any comment.”
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