Inspection of 5 February 2026 — Inspection Report
Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment
- There was no designated person in charge or deputy appointed for duty between the hours of 13:30 and 15:30. The registered provider was not present in the service and the person in charge who facilitated the inspection was due to take up duty in the premises which provided a school age service at 13:30. It is acknowledged that the designated person in charge arranged additional cover in the school age service to remain on site to facilitate the closing meeting
- Police vetting was not available in respect of one staff member who had lived outside the state for a period of longer than six consecutive months
Provider's corrective action:
- The registered provider stated in the response that a person in charge and two deputies have been appointed and the rota has been amended to ensure that a person in charge is always onsite during the daily opening hours of the service. (Roster submitted)
- The registered provider stated in the response that police vetting has been applied for in respect of one staff member and that induction checklists for staff files now include police vetting requirements where a person has lived outside of the state for a period of longer than six consecutive months. (Police Vetting application and induction checklist submitted). Summary Comment
- In respect of the corrective actions taken documentary evidence was submitted to the office of the Early Years Inspectorate, reviewed by the Early Years Inspector and deemed to meet the regulatory requirement
- The non-compliance remains outstanding until the registered provider submits the required police vetting
Regulation 16 — Record in relation to pre-school service
- In pre-school room 3 the attendance of the twenty-two children present in the morning was not recorded in the child attendance record book. (i) A staff roster was not available in the service for review
Provider's corrective action:
- The registered provider stated in the response that the attendance of children is recorded on a separate roll book in the children’s base classroom. (Attendance submitted)
- The registered provider stated in the response that a staff roster is now on display in a communal area of service and the staff roster is sent to staff on a weekly basis. (Roster submitted). Summary Comment In respect of the corrective actions taken documentary evidence was submitted to the office of the Early Years Inspectorate, reviewed by the Early Years Inspector and deemed to meet the regulatory requirement
Regulation 20 — Facilities for rest and play
- Low-level beds or sleep mats were not readily available in the service for any child attending on a part time basis who required rest or sleep
Provider's corrective action:
- The registered provider stated in the response that low level beds are now available for children attending on a part time basis who require rest or sleep. (Photograph submitted). Summary Comment In respect of the corrective actions taken photographic evidence was submitted to the office of the Early Years Inspectorate, reviewed by the Early Years Inspector and deemed to meet the regulatory requirement
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
- General Safety: 1. There was an absence of documented training and demonstrated competency in medical tasks undertaken by staff members including the provision of nutritional support and blood glucose monitoring for a child with a defined medical condition which posed a potential risk of harm to the child. 2. The door to the office/ kitchenette remained open and accessible throughout the inspection. A child returning to pre-school room 2 entered the office/kitchenette unnoticed by staff on return from the outdoor area which posed a potential risk of harm should the child gain access to the hazards within. 3. A screw was observed protruding from a sliding door of the children’s sanitary accommodation adjacent to pre-school room 3 which posed a potential risk of injury to a pre-school child. 4. A screw was observed protruding from the skirting board behind the door of the sanitary accommodation located in the entrance hallway which posed a potential risk of injury to a pre-school child. 5. The most recent Garda vetting disclosure presented in respect of one of the staff members was not dated within the previous three years in adherence with the Early Years Inspectorate Regulatory Notice ‘EYI- RN12.3 Renewal of Garda Vetting’. Infection Control: 1. Perishable food products including snacks and meals for children availing of part time provision were not stored appropriately in a refrigerator. The main meal provision for a child and their specific supplementary food products was observed to be stored in the child’s school bag with an ice pack. This posed a potential risk of foodborne illness to the children as perishable food items were not stored in a refrigerator with a temperature below 5 degrees Celsius. 2. Food products including an open container of cocoa flavoured instant beverage, vegetable oil and cornflour were stored in the sanitary accommodation adjacent to pre-school room 3 which posed a potential infection control risk. Fire Safety: 1. Evidence was not available to indicate that monthly fire drills were being carried out in the premises. In all three pre-school rooms fire drills were not recorded as taking place monthly in December 2025 and January 2026. A lack of consistent fire drill practice may impede the safe evacuation of children from each of the three pre-school rooms in the event of a fire in the premises. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
- The registered provider stated in the response that: General Safety: 1. Certificates of training for four staff members have been obtained for the provision of nutritional support. Certified training will be provided in respect of any additional staff members undertaking the provision of nutritional support. (Certificates submitted). 2. Staff were reminded that the door to the kitchenette/office must remain closed at all times to ensure general safety. (Staff meeting - 6 February 2026 submitted). 3. The screw was removed from the sliding door in room 3. Staff have been asked to report general safety concerns immediately. (Photograph and staff meeting - 6 February 2026 submitted). 4. The screw was removed from the door frame in the sanitary accommodation. Staff have been asked to report general safety concerns immediately. (Photograph and staff meeting - 6 February 2026 submitted). 5. Garda Vetting has been requested for the staff member. Regular checks on staff files will be implemented to ensure all documents are in date. (Garda Vetting application submitted). Infection Control: 1. Food is now stored in fridges. Staff were reminded of and furnished with the food safety policy for the service. Food is now stored in correct conditions and no longer stored in school bags (Photographs, food safety policy and staff meeting - 6 February 2026 submitted). 2. Staff were reminded of food safety and the correct storage of food. (Staff meeting - 6 February 2026 submitted). Fire Safety: 1. The staff were reminded of the importance of recording all fire drills in the allocated record books (Fire evacuation drill records for February 2026 for all 3 rooms and staff meeting - 6 February 2026 submitted). Summary Comment In respect of the corrective actions taken documentary evidence was submitted to the office of the Early Years Inspectorate, reviewed by the Early Years Inspector and deemed to meet the regulatory requirement apart from General Safety – 5. General Safety – 5. The non – compliance remains outstanding until the registered provider submits the required garda vetting
Regulation 28 — Insurance
- 1. The service was found to be operating outside of its registered capacity for pre-school room 3 as an additional four children were in attendance. On 5 February 2026 twenty-two children were present in pre- school room 3. On 28 April 2025, following a fit for purpose inspection the service was registered with Tusla to accommodate a maximum of eighteen children in pre-school room 3. This non-compliance was previously noted on the last inspection of 15 June 2023. The service was referred to the TUSLA registration department who at the time wrote to the registered provider informing them that operating outside of the registration status for the service was a breach of the Childcare Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 and instructed the service to immediately revert back to their approved number of children as stated in the National Register. The registered Additional Information A referral was submitted to TUSLA services operating outside of registration department (SOORS) on 6 February 2026 and accepted by the SOORS department on 11 February 2026. Acknowledgments The inspector wishes to acknowledge the cooperation of the person in charge, staff and children who were present on the day of the inspection
Regulation 28 — Insurance
- Neither of the two cover notes presented and detailing the level of insurance cover provided for children indicated that sufficient and appropriate insurance was in place for the type of service provision and the number of children present or that could be enrolled in the service. Cover note one indicated cover for 54 children but for sessional provision only which was inadequate. Cover note two indicated full day care cover but for 36 children only which was inadequate. It is acknowledged that the registered provider took an immediate corrective action and evidence of current insurance cover for 54 children attending the part time and sessional service with an expiry date of 27 March 2026 was submitted post inspection on 06 February 2026 to the Early Years Inspectorate
Provider's corrective action:
- The registered provider stated in the response that the insurance documentation was immediately amended to reflect cover for the service type and number of children that can be in attendance. (Insurance certificate submitted). Summary Comment In respect of the corrective actions taken documentary evidence was submitted to the office of the Early Years Inspectorate, reviewed by the Early Years Inspector and deemed to meet the regulatory requirement
Found compliant: Regulation 11, 19, 24, 25, 26.