A founder member of a government-funded childcare organisation pleaded guilty yesterday to nine breaches of creche standards legislation.
Summonses against Mary Nugent, proprietor of Hawthorn Creche, Posie Row, Kinsealy, Dublin, and a founder of the Fingal County Childcare Committee, were dismissed under the Probation Act after she paid €900 to charity. Dublin District Court heard she had brought the operation fully up to standard since the Health Service Executive (HSE) inspection on February 21st, 2005.
Inspectors found there were insufficient adult staff for the supervision of children. They also found the creche did not meet adequate space-per-child standards and that furniture and fittings were not in a proper state of repair.
Inspectors said the creche was inadequately heated and, where there was heat, surfaces were not properly protected to prevent children touching them.
Other breaches included:
• insufficient toys and games suitable to children's development;
• a failure to keep proper records in relation to staff-child ratios and on the type of care programme provided;
• inadequate sanitary facilities and waste storage;
• failure to ensure play and work equipment was hygienically stored and non-toxic.
Following this inspection, Ms Nugent invited the HSE back in November last year and inspectors found the premises to be substantially in compliance.
Another inspection two days before the court hearing found it was fully up to standard.
Ms Nugent's lawyer said her client had been in business for 30 years and had established such a good reputation that the children of children who had attended the creche were being sent there.
Becoming familiar with pre-school regulations, which came in just 10 years ago, was a learning curve for her.
She had, however, invested €1.5 million in her business. Her husband and four sons were also involved in it.
She is no longer a member of the Fingal County Childcare Committee, but was a founder of it. The body was one of 33 set up in 2001 to improve the quality of childcare in Ireland.
Judge Patrick Clyne said Ms Nugent had met the case fairly and he appreciated that keeping up with pre-school regulations was not an easy task. "You would need eyes, not just in the back of your head but on the soles of your feet, to be on top of everything and no man or woman can be on top of everything," the judge said.