The government and the HSE are being urged to respond to a documentary which showed widespread breaches of regulations at several childcare centres.
The Breach of Trust programme showed footage of children being flung onto mattresses, manhandled, shouted and cursed at and strapped into chairs for hours at time.
It also obtained a HSE inspection report which showed that 75 percent of Irish childcare facilities were in breach of regulations last year.
The Association of Childhood Professionals says the 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.
