Regulation 29 in Donegal
Premises: 18 non-compliance(s) in the latest reports we read.
An inspection records what inspectors saw on one day; services respond with corrective actions — how to read this.
20 May 2026
Letterkenny Community Playgroup Childcare Centre CLG, Letterkenny · Regulation 29 — Premises
- (d) In the main building, the downstairs playrooms walls where marked, chipped and required painting. These rooms included the Ladybug room, the Caterpillar room and the Butterfly room. (e) The service was not equipped with adequate nappy changing facilities to accommodate the number of children who were in nappies in the service on the day of inspection. There were two nappy changing rooms in the downstairs of the main building to cater for 30 children in nappies. Nappy changing facilities are required at a ratio of 1 to 11 children who require nappy changing, therefore an additional nappy changing unit was required. The service also needs to install an additional wash hand basin to cater for the numbers of children in nappies in the service
Provider's corrective action:
- (d) All walls have been washed, and visible marked walls have been covered over with pictures and white boards. Chipped walls will be painted before the new term. Management will do regular checks of the walls in each of the playrooms. (e) The service has arranged for works to put another nappy changing facility outside the baby room; this will be adjacent to the sink inside the baby room so the service can install a sink for handwashing. Currently the service has the requirement of 1:11 for nappy changing and hand hygiene (due to lower numbers attending for summer). The service will have an additional nappy changing facility ready in September 2026. Management will ensure that there are enough nappy changing facilities for the number of children in nappies attending
8 May 2026
Bee Kool Kidz Creche, Letterkenny · Regulation 29 — Premises
- (d) • Soft furnishings in the Wobbler room (Pink Matts) appeared frayed, dirty and worn. • The walls in the Junior preschool room required painting. (e) The sanitary washing basins required maintenance due to faulty taps leading to inadequate flow of running water in the following rooms • Senior preschool (sanitary room) • Wobbler room (care room)
Provider's corrective action:
- 1. Pink mats removed and replaced with new soft mats. Staff have been informed to report if mats are needing freshened or replaced. 2. Painter has been booked for Saturday 1st August leading into the bank holiday weekend to give all rooms a freshen up. 3. Faulty taps have been fixed and have adequate flow of running water. Staff have been encouraged to keep a close eye if children are pulling on taps and report any faults of any inadequate flow of water
10 April 2026
Kid Kare Créche & Montessori Pre-school, Donegal Town · Regulation 29 — Premises
- 29 (d) The registered provider failed to ensure a consistent supply of water to the sunroom sanitary area. At 11:05 am, no warm water was available from either of the two washbasins in the children’s sanitary area due to inconsistent water pressure. This resulted in an inability to maintain effective hand hygiene and posed a risk to infection control
Provider's corrective action:
- 1. A new regulator has been installed for the sun room pipes. This will rectify the water pressure issue. Staff have been advised to contact the office if the water pressure issue returns
11 March 2026
Aurora's Hobbits Ltd, Killygordon · Regulation 29 — Premises
- (c) The service did not appear to be adequately heated and ventilated as follows: • Room temperature in the baby sleep room was measured at 12.1°c. This is not within the acceptable temperature for safe sleep. • The inspectors observed evidence of a black substance in the sleep room of the baby room which posed potential health risks to children in attendance. This was found to be non-compliant on previous inspection on 11 September 2025. The corrective actions submitted following the inspection failed to prevent recurrence of this non-compliance. • Large brown stains on the roof of the sleep- room which required cleaning. (d) The premises was not observed to be cleaned and maintained as required. The inspectors observed a number of areas that required attention as follows: • In the baby sleep room, the paint on the walls was flaking and bubbling. • The premises required cleaning, as evidenced by accumulations of dust in certain parts of the building including the toddler room bathroom, where cobwebs and accumulations of dust and dirt was observed on windowsills and the nappy changing area. • There was a strong malodour in the hall entering the toddler wobbler pre-school room. • There was a large hole in wall of the entrance hall. • The outdoor areas required cleaning. A number of items that were not suitable for preschool children were stored in the outdoor areas. This included Christmas decorations, metal piping, boxes of materials
Provider's corrective action:
- (1) A new radiator was purchased and installed to ensure the heat in our sleep room is within the regulated temperature management will ensure the team are carrying out their daily indoor checklists, their sleep checks and the health and safety of the children will remain paramount. (2) The sleep room was treated and repainted. Management will ensure the team are carrying out their daily indoor checklists and the health and safety of the children will remain paramount. (3) The sleep room was treated and repainted. Management will ensure the team are carrying out their daily indoor checklists and the health and safety of the children will remain paramount. (4) The sleep room was treated and repainted. Management will ensure the team are carrying out their daily indoor checklists and the health and safety of the children will remain paramount. (5) Cleaned the blocked trap and the washed the drains. Management will ensure the team are carrying out their daily indoor checklists and the health and safety of the children will remain paramount (6) The hole was filled and painted. Management will ensure the team are carrying out their daily indoor checklists and the health and safety of the children will remain paramount. (7) The Toddler yard was cleaned and decluttered. Management will ensure the team are carrying out their daily outdoor checklists and the health and safety of the children will remain paramount. (8) The service was cleaned daily following all our room checklists. Management will ensure the team are carrying out their daily cleaning checklists
11 March 2026
Dunfanaghy Community Playhouse Ltd, Dunfanaghy · Regulation 29 — Premises
- (d) In the children’s sanitary accommodation, three taps were rusted and in need of replacement
Provider's corrective action:
- A plumber was contacted and the service is awaiting the work being carried out
13 February 2026
Nursery Lane Playgroup Limited, Lifford · 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
3 February 2026
Glen Outdoor, Letterkenny · Regulation 29 — Premises
- (c) The service was not adequately heated as follows: • The temperature in the dining room was recorded to be 13.4°C at approximately 12 midday. This is below the recommended room temperature of 18°C to 22°C. Some staff and preschool children were wearing hats and coats in the dining room during morning snack and again at lunch time. • The room temperature the sleep room was below the recommended guidance of 18°C to 22°C. The temperature in the sleep room at 11:23am was recorded as 12.8°C. (d) The wooden teepee in the outdoor area was not maintained or cleaned appropriately. The internal wall linings showed signs of wear and tear and some parts where ripped. The teepee was visibly dirty and had a build-up of green algae both inside and outside. There was a build-up of dust and cobwebs on the ceiling on the teepee
Provider's corrective action:
- In a written response the registered provider stated: (c) Temporary heating measures were put in place immediately, including portable heaters where safe and appropriate, to ensure staff and children remained warm. The central heating system and boiler are being fully inspected and repaired to ensure consistent heating throughout the service. Heck lists have been out in place to ensure the morning staff checks the system. The central heating system and all radiators will continue to be regularly serviced and maintained to prevent recurrence of heating issues. (d) The entire teepee was power-washed to remove algae, dirt, dust, and cobwebs
2 December 2025
Little Acorns Playgroup (Raphoe), Donegal · Regulation 29 — Premises
- (c) The temperature of the service on the day of inspection ranged from 15.8˚C in the preschool room to 16˚C in the large hall which is below the required range of 18-22˚C. It is acknowledged that the heating was turned on however the temperature failed to rise
Provider's corrective action:
- The heating system is now timed to ensure the rooms are warm and within the required temperatures when the children arrive. Two wall thermometers have been purchased and secured to the walls to allow for visual checks of the room temperature by staff
11 November 2025
First Steps Playgroup, Letterkenny · Regulation 29 — Premises
- (c) There was a large accumulation of mould on the blinds and walls beside the window in the main playroom. (d) In the children’s sanitary accommodation, the pipe underneath the sink was leaking, posing a risk of a trip or fall to the preschool child
Provider's corrective action:
- 1. The blind has been cleaned. 2. The leak has been fixed
6 November 2025
Bizzy Bees Creche, Clonmany · Regulation 29 — Premises
- (c) The mechanical ventilation in the Toddler nappy area did not seem to be working which was confirmed by a staff member. The inspector noted a malodour in the nappy changing area on the initial walk around of the service and during the inspection whilst in the Toddler Room. (d) • A pane of glass on the external side of the window pane in the Senior Preschool sanitary area was cracked. The area located outside the window is used for children, parents and staff entering and exiting the Senior preschool room. This poses a risk of injury to a child. It is acknowledged that the registered provider outlined that the landlord was aware that this required replacement. • The toilet roll holders in the toilets in the Senior Preschool room's sanitary area were rusted and required replacement
Provider's corrective action:
- Arranged with contractor for works over Christmas to mend the mechanical ventilation. The landlord was contacted to fix the pane of glass. The toilet roll holders were ordered the next day and arrived the following Monday. Do premises check more often
21 October 2025
LMNO Childcare, Letterkenny · Regulation 29 — Premises
- (d) The walls and doors throughout the service were in need of re painting, with heavy wear and tear evident in the following areas: • The caterpillar nappy changing room. • The caterpillar room It is acknowledged that the person in charge informed the inspector that a painter has been booked and a date secured for the work to be carried out
Provider's corrective action:
- The registered provider responded: The painters have been booked and are work is due to take place over the Christmas break. The manager will continue to arrange repainting of the room every year or as needed
2 September 2025
Barnesmore Montessori School, Barnesmore · Regulation 29 — Premises
- (c)(d) In the “Montessori” Room, a large accumulation of mould was observed on two blinds and on one window seal, posing a risk to children’s health
Provider's corrective action:
- 1. The blinds have been adequately cleaned, and the window seal has been removed. The mould grew over 2 months as the service was closed. Ventilation to the room has been increased and a dehumidifier is in use over the weekends
8 July 2025
Ardara Community Childcare Ltd, Ardara · Regulation 29 — Premises
- (d) On the day of the inspection, there appeared to be visible signs of deterioration to the outer envelope of the pre-school building. Part of the masonry overhead the children’s outdoor play area in two locations was cracked and visibly defective. Perceptible cracks had also formed on one external wall of the building’s façade. The service manager informed the inspectors that tests carried out on the building had confirmed the presence of defective blockwork in part of the pre-school building. The manager furnished the inspector with a civil engineer’s report outlining that annual surveys and maintenance checks are being carried out to ensure the safety of the building
Provider's corrective action:
- Checks are carried out annually by our engineer and action is taken on her guidance with any safety and maintenance issues in relation to the defective blockwork. All cracks are filled as soon as they appear, the manager and deputy manager have taken note of each crack as it appears
12 June 2025
Naíonra Ailt a'Chorráin, Leitir Ceanainn · Regulation 29 — Premises
- (c) There was no ventilation, either natural or mechanical, in the children’s sanitary accommodation. This was found to be non-complaint on the previous inspection. It is acknowledged that the works had been scheduled to take place over the Easter holidays, and the inspector was informed that this was postponed to the summer holidays at the request of the contractors
Provider's corrective action:
- (c) The service has followed up with the contractor to see how much longer it would take to complete the ventilation works in the bathroom. The area was observed on the 16th of May it was confirmed that the works will be done before next Friday the 4th of July
4 June 2025
Milford Community Playgroup Ltd, Milford · Regulation 29 — Premises
- (e) On the day of the inspection, adult sanitary facilities were not accessible to staff working in the service
Provider's corrective action:
- Toilet facilities are now provided in the adjoining building, with landlord approval for adult sanitary use
1 April 2025
Learn and Play Preschool Letterkenny CDP, Letterkenny · Regulation 29 — Premises
- (a)(d) On the day of the inspection, the inspector noted that there were visible signs of deterioration to the outer envelope of the pre-school building that was in need of repair. Perceptible cracks had formed on the external wall on three sides of the building. This is a recurring non-compliance from the previous inspection on 22 November 2021. It is acknowledged that work has been carried out on the rear of the building since the last inspection, however, there has been no remedial work carried out on the other three sides
Provider's corrective action:
- (a) (d) The landlord has been informed of the ongoing issue. The management of the CDP will conduct a review of the premises. The landlord has verbally committed to carry out repairs of the building whilst closed during the summer. CDP management will meet to discuss a long term strategy for the preschool
5 March 2025
Rosie and Jim's Playschool, Castlefin · Regulation 29 — Premises
- (e) equipped with adequate and suitable sanitary facilities. It is acknowledged there were sufficient toilets and wash hand basins available to the children, however on the day of inspection a nappy changing unit was not available for children who were not toilet trained
Provider's corrective action:
- The registered provider has stated the following. Corrective and Preventive Action I have looked at various suitable changing units that are suitable for the space I have in the disabled toilet and that can support older children of a heavier weight. The units are too big for the space that I would like to purchase, therefore I have contacted someone to tailor make a changing station. Please see email regarding this before I proceed to ensure that this unit is maintained and suitable for use
24 July 2024
Slí an Eolais, Dungloe · Regulation 29 — Premises
- (e) On the day of the inspection, there was an inadequate number of nappy changing units for the number of children attending. The regulatory requirement specifies one nappy-changing unit and one wash hand basin for every 11 children in nappies. On the day of inspection, there were 12 children in attendance who were not yet toilet trained and one nappy-changing unit in the service. On discussion with staff, the inspector was informed that at certain periods throughout the year the service may have up to 22 children not yet toilet trained
Provider's corrective action:
- A new nappy changing unit has been ordered. Sufficient nappy changing units will be in place