Inspection of 13 February 2026 — Inspection Report
Immediate action notice. An immediate action notice was issued to the registered provider on 16th February 2026 in relation to no Garda Vetting available for one staff member. Please see body of report for more detail.
Immediate action notice. This inspection focused on an examination of compliance under regulations 9, 11, 19, 22, 23, 25, 26 and 28. However, on inspection, an additional non-compliance which posed a risk was identified under Regulation 8. These findings are outlined within the relevant regulation within this report.
Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment
- (2) (a) Four references were not on file for two staff. Four references were not on file for two students. Two references were not on file for one contractor. Three references from previous employers were not validated for three staff. (b) One reference from a reputable source was not validated for one staff. (c) One Garda vetting disclosure was unavailable for one adult. An immediate action notice was issued to the registered provider. (d) One staff had lived in a state other than the State for a period of longer than 6 consecutive months as an adult. Police vetting was not on file for this staff member on the day of inspection. (4) Documentary evidence was not available on the day of inspection to confirm that 2 staff employed to work with children, held an appropriate childcare qualification at Level 5 or above on the National Framework of Qualifications, or a qualification deemed by the Minister to be equivalent
Provider's corrective action:
- All staff records were reviewed to confirm their appropriateness and presence in the files. The Garda vetting for one staff member was saved on the service computer and had not been photocopied or filed in the staff folder. The files are now present in the appropriate staff folders. Staff documentation will be thoroughly checked and regularly reviewed to ensure compliance. All documentation will need to be checked and passed before employment begins or students start their placement. The registered provider has assured that they have reviewed and updated their Garda vetting policy
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
- General Safety: 1. In respect of 2 staff members, the service did not demonstrate compliance with the Early Years Inspectorate Regulatory Notice requiring services to renew Garda vetting every three years. A period more than 3 years had lapsed since their Garda vetting disclosures were issued. 2. Upon the inspector's arrival to the service, the side door into the service was observed to be unlocked, which does not ensure that no unauthorised person could enter the premises without the approval or notification to staff. It is acknowledged that the person in charge advised the inspectors that they used to have a lock in place on that door, which was currently not operating. 3. The Junior Preschool (1) and Baby/Toddler room door, accessible from their own outdoor areas were observed unsecured during the inspection. The inspectors acknowledge that due to the supervision levels of staff on the day of inspection, a child may not leave the room unsupervised or unknown to staff through the placement of wooden gates and the height of the door handle; however, external access by an unauthorised person may be possible via the outdoor area and gaining access directly into these care rooms. Safe Sleep: 4. Two children aged 16 months and 20 months were placed to sleep on a stackable bed. The stackable bed was not suitable for a child aged under 24 months, in line with Tusla’s Early Learning and Care sleep provision guidance for children under 24 months, which requires a floor bed to be fitted with a mattress of at least 6cm in thickness. 5. Sleep plans were not in place for the two children aged under 24 months who were not sleeping in cots. This is at variance with the guidelines that state a child can sleep in an approved alternative to a cot, provided it is agreed with parents, and a sleep plan is established and signed. 6. One child in the baby/toddler room was observed to sleep in a highchair from 12.48pm to 13.14pm. Highchairs are for mealtimes and are not considered safe and/or suitable as a sleeping environment for infants and children. If a child falls asleep in such an item, they should be removed and placed in a suitable sleep facility such as a cot or floor bed. There was one cot available throughout the time this child was asleep in the highchair. Infection Control: 7. Ineffective hand-washing practices were observed in the baby/toddler room on the day of inspection. Not all children were not observed to have their hands washed before snack time at 1pm. One child was observed to dry hands on a towel that was on a nearby radiator at 1.15pm after a nappy change. Another child was observed to not wash their hands after nappy change at 1.18pm. 8. The foot-pedal operated waste bin in the baby/toddler was broken. Staff and children were seen throughout the day using the bin, lifting the lid by hand. This was a potential infection control issue. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
- General Safety: General Safety: (1) The two staff members were absent for a long period of time: one for maternity and parental leave, the other due to a prolonged illness. Their renewal application was being processed but had not returned by the day of inspection. One staff members has been received but one staff members has still not arrived. The service has included the email stating that they have received the application for renewal. One staff is currently off sick, so the service hopes to have received her garda vetting (renewal) before their return. Moving forward the service will ensure that all staff garda vetting is renewed before the 3-year period is up. The service will also ensure that staff on maternity or on sick leave has their application renewed as well. (2) All doors have been locked. Side entrance door is locked at all times. Staff have been informed to keep doors locked at all times when children are present in the rooms (3) The doors are also locked. These doors remain locked at all times, except when they are opened to allow children, under staff supervision, to play outside. This procedure permits children to access restroom facilities and transition comfortably between indoor and outdoor environments. A staff meeting was organised to discuss Tusla report and this was highlighted to all staff. Safe Sleep: (4) Staff in the Baby/Toddler room have been made aware that no children under 24 months should be sleeping on stackable beds. This was also highlighted at staff meeting. A new safe sleeping policy was drawn up referencing guidelines. All new staff will also be informed of this and training provided. (5) Safe sleep plans have been drawn up and discussed with each parent. These are signed and stored on file as well as reviewed regularly as children get older and their sleep patterns change. This was also highlighted at staff meeting. A new safe sleeping policy was drawn up referencing guidelines. All new staff will also be informed of this and training provided. (6) This is not normal practice to let a child sleep in a highchair. Staff were made aware that no child should be let sleep in a pram or highchair. If they fall asleep, they should be removed and placed in a cot immediately. This was communicated to all staff in the baby toddler room. At a staff meeting, the service thoroughly discussed the Safe Sleep policy and emphasized the importance of safety, comfort, and regular monitoring of the children while they sleep to all employees. This will be checked by the manager on a daily basis. Infection Control: (7) Hand washing was discussed at the meeting, and it was conveyed to all staff the importance of the children washing their hands regularly. A poster was displayed on the wall in the playrooms and above the sinks in the toilets. Staff were also reminded about washing their own hands and adhering to good hygiene and infection control measures. The preschool rooms did activities, listened to stories and learned songs about washing their hands and good hygiene practices. All staff have been informed of the importance of hand washing. The service have put posters up on the walls and incorporated this topic into the curriculum. (8) The foot bin in the Baby/Toddler room was fixed. The hook to operate the pedal kept popping out at the back of the bin. This has now been secured with a washer and bolt. All equipment will undergo closer inspection and monitoring. Staff have received a maintenance checklist for each room. Safety checks are conducted in every room, and a messaging text group has been created with the maintenance personnel to ensure all tasks are completed promptly and efficiently
Regulation 29 — Premises
- (d) The registered provider had not ensured that rooms occupied by the children were appropriately cleaned and maintained. • There was an area of dark, dry growth in the corners of both low-level windows in the Baby/Toddler care room
Provider's corrective action:
- (d) The windowsills have been painted, and staff have been instructed to include such items in the maintenance checklist and notify the manager as necessary. Additionally, a painter has been scheduled to perform painting tasks during the Easter break
Regulation not named in the report text
- 8 (1) • The service is registered with Tusla to operate a full day service between the hours of 7.45am to 6pm. However, on the day of inspection, the service was operating the hours of 7.30am to 6pm. The registered provider did not notify Tusla of the change in operating hours. • The service is registered with Tusla to provide care for 60 preschool children. On the day of inspection, 62 children were present in the service
Provider's corrective action:
- A Change of Circumstances form was submitted to Tusla to notify them of revised operating hours and to request an increase in the number of children permitted to attend. Tusla will be notified in advance of any changes that occur
Found compliant: Regulation 11, 19, 22, 25, 26, 28.